Family-friendly things to do at home
The Circuit Breaker earlier this year forced us to get used to social distancing by staying home. And that wasn’t a bad thing – we’ve been spending more time with our families, doing home workouts together or just binging on Netflix together.
If you’re looking to savour your precious weekends indoors with new activities together with la familia, here are 6 family-friendly things to do at home that’ll be enjoyed by both adults and kiddos alike.
1. Get into friendly competition over board games
Board games are common go-tos for social gatherings – be it a casual hangout with your clique or a gathering with colleagues. But they don’t have to be reserved for an out-of home activity – families can join in the fun at home as well.
Image credit: The Mind Cafe
Instead of visiting the cafe, you can purchase their board games from Shopee and have them delivered straight to your doorstep. You can get games that are suitable for any age group – from toddlers between 0-2 years old to adults. Snag all-time favourites like Monopoly ($35.90, U.P. $47.90) and Jenga ($23.56, U.P. $25.90), or experiment with new ones like The Durian Game ($23.10, U.P. $28.90) and Sushi Go ($27.20, U.P. $29.90).
Get board games from The Mind Cafe.
2. Learn how to make mooncakes & pizza from scratch
Image credit: ToTT Store
Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner, and that means it’s high time to feast on mooncakes. While mooncake deals are all around, making them from scratch gives you freedom to customise flavours and the level of sweetness.
ToTT Store is holding a Snowskin Mooncake class that is open to both adults and children aged 5-12 years old, available both online via Zoom ($48/pax) and at their physical store ($108/1 parent and child).
In this class, you’ll be taught how to make a chocolate cheesecake truffle filling and yam paste filling. You’ll also be introduced to the ins and outs of mooncake shaping and wrapping techniques.
Image credit: ToTT Store
The family that cooks together, stays together – so why not also sign up for a class that teaches how to DIY your own pizza for a savoury meal. You’ll also learn how to make red velvet cupcakes to complete the home cafe experience.
These classes are designed to be kid-friendly, making this a good opportunity for a role swap where you enjoy while your kiddos do most of the work under your guidance. Do note that ingredients are not provided for virtual classes.
Handmade Pizza & Cupcakes Virtual Class
Date: 11th September 2020
Time: 12PM-2PM
Price: $48/pax
Sign up for the Handmade Pizza & Cupcakes Virtual Class.
Snowskin Mooncakes Virtual Class
Date: 12th September 2020
Time: 11.30AM-1.30PM
Price: $48/pax
Sign up for the Snowskin Mooncakes Virtual Class.
3. Have high tea without heading to a hotel
Image credit: Ette Tea
Picture a chill weekend and sipping tea from a teacup with your pinky sticking out fits right in – also a perfect setup for some HTHT between you and your fam. For a stay-home weekend idea, have a tea-tasting session together over a multitude of flavour selections.
For that, order online from Ette Tea by checking out their one-of-a-kind options like ice kacang, orh nee and even bak kwa (from $20). You can also find fruity renditions of oolong, such as Yuzu Parfait and Lychee. These experimental flavours are bound to complement your tea-spilling session.
All orders above $50 are entitled to free delivery, and you can get 15% off your order when you checkout with the code <LIBAI>.
Get tea from Ette Tea.
4. Start a mini home garden together
Image credits: Cockburn Libraries
Gardening is not just a great way to add some greenery to your home, it’s also a meaningful activity to do as a family. Let your kiddos flex their green thumbs with you, as you watch their labour sprout and blossom.
Image credit: New Joo Guan
Beginners can find a slew of home gardening supplies at New Joo Guan nursery. They have everything from easy-to-maintain succulents to herbs and spices (from $8) that’ll give you a balcony-to-table dining experience. You can also get gardening supplies like pots, planters and soil from them – these are available to purchase online for delivery, but do also note that they are subject to availability.
What’s more, the young ones can also learn values like responsibility by taking care of their very own plant baby!
Address: New Joo Guan Nursery, 18 Sungei Tengah Rd, Singapore 698974
Opening hours: 11AM-9.30PM, Mon – Fri (Closed weekends)
Telephone: 9117 5025
Get gardening supplies from New Joo Guan.
5. Order in seafood, Indian cuisine & fusion fare for a feast
Image credit: Deanna’s Kitchen
For the foodie fams who live to eat, you don’t have to brave the crowds and stand in queues to enjoy a good meal. Deliveries have become the norm now, and there are a range of affordable family meals that don’t disappoint in both quality and quantity.
Those living in Toa Payoh, Bedok and Jurong, you’re in luck. For just $39.50, you can get a big bowl of prawn mee that feeds 2-3 pax, which includes a whole lobster, crayfish and peeled prawns from Deanna’s Kitchen. You can also add on scallops and mussels for variety.
Deanna’s Kitchen, Jurong East
Address: Jurong East Street 21, Padi Emas Coffee Shop, Block 214, Singapore 600214
Opening hours: Tue – Sun 10AM-9PM (Closed Mondays)
Deanna’s Kitchen, Chai Chee
Address: 28 Senang Cres, #02-11 Padi Emas Coffee House, Singapore 416601
Opening hours: Tue – Sun 10AM-9PM (Closed Mondays)
Deanna’s Kitchen, Toa Payoh
Address: 127 Lor 1 Toa Payoh, #02-25, Singapore 310127
Opening hours: Tue – Sun 10AM-9PM (Closed Mondays)
Order from Deanna’s Kitchen.
For comfort food, check out Jin Ji Braised Duck Rice & Kuay Chap, who’ve received rave reviews on the tender duck meat and fragrant herbal gravy they deliver. Apart from authentic local fare, they also have fusion creations such as The Quack Ramen and Donburi (both $8.50) for those who’d like more variety.
Image credit: Jin Ji Braised Duck Rice & Kuay Chap
Jin Ji Braised Duck Rice & Kuay Chap
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-156, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Sat – Thu 10AM-7PM (Closed Fridays)
Find more information about Jin Ji Braised Duck Rice & Kuay Chap.
Image credit: Brinda’s
As for night owls, order supper from Brinda’s, as they offer 24 hours delivery. They serve authentic Indian cuisine, which include local favourites like roti prata (from $2.50) and tandoori chicken (from $11).
Brinda’s
Address: 162 Bukit Merah Central, Singapore 150162
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Order from Brinda’s .
6. Create your own wall art to decorate your home
Art is an activity suitable for all ages, and everyone in the family can join in the fun. Get your creative juices flowing as a family by organising an art jamming session at home. After you’ve finished creating your individual pieces, you can frame them up as wall art to add a pop of colour to your home, and also as a keepsake.
To get art supplies online, check out Umistrong, which offers a myriad of art supplies like watercolor, acrylic and oil paint (from $3.50).
Get your art supplies from Umistrong.
Support small businesses while enjoying family time
Living in unprecedented times has seen the community spirit in Singapore arise prominently by supporting small businesses, which is more important now than ever to help them survive.
Besides shedding light on small businesses and their importance, Visa is providing a host of digital solutions for small businesses to adapt to changing shopping habits and behaviors.
Whether you own a local shop or an online business, you can leverage on Visa’s programs such as the ecommerce starter kit and ad boosters to move or grow your business online. The ecommerce starter kit includes getting 3 months free for running your online business with Visa, and their ad boosters give you 100% cashback on up to the first $100 spent on Google Ads.
As part of Visa’s #WhereYouShopMatters campaign to raise awareness for small businesses in Singapore, they’re also now holding a giveaway on Instagram where you’ll stand to win $100 Shopee vouchers. All you have to do is the following:
- Post a photo/video of you with a product from a small business where you’ve chosen to shop and explain why in the caption – the most creative post will be chosen as winner, so think out of the box!
- Follow @visa_sg and hashtag your post with #WhereYouShopMatters and #visa_sg
- Make your profile public
You can also participate in this contest on Facebook by 10th October 2020 with the following steps:
- Upload a photo of a product that you’ve bought from a local small business
- Write a heartwarming caption on why you decided to shop at the local small business
- Hashtag #WhereYouShopMatters and follow Visa Singapore on Facebook
- Make sure your entry is visible to public throughout the contest period
As a family, we can show solidarity with small businesses by choosing their goods and services when we do our regular shopping, while taking the opportunity to try new things together. With these fresh family-friendly things to do at home, you’ll never have another sian weekend without any plans.
Find out more about Visa’s #WhereYouShopMatters here
This post was brought to you by Visa.
Cover image adapted from ToTT Store (right).