Picking a kid-friendly holiday destination isn’t always the easiest. You’ve got to take into account activities, proximity to public transportation, and the age-appropriateness of it all. If you’ve crossed off family activities in Bangkok and sat on every ride at Super Nintendo World, then we’ve got just the place: Taiwan.
Why Taiwan? This place has a tonne of kid-friendly attractions that don’t just involve cartoon characters or indoor playgrounds. If that sounds like a good deal, then read on for the kid-friendly things to do in Taiwan we’ve rounded up for you:
Table of Contents
The peaceful Public Hot Spring Spa.
Image credit: Spring City Resort
Outside of Japan, there are few other places that have hot spring resorts, much less one that would take in kids. But Taiwan’s Spring City Resort Hot Spring has outdoor and indoor hot springs for you and your munchkins to have a splash of fun. There are 9 hot springs in total, so it’s not too difficult to get a private corner just for your family.
Image credit: @chiuwenwen.tw via Instagram
Tickets to enter either a Public or Private Hot Spring Spa start from TWD529 (~S$23.19)/entry. Note that the outdoor public hot springs are open for a limited time, from 9am-10pm, while the private hot springs are open 24 hours.
You can book a private hot spring session from TWD600/adult (~S$25.23) and TWD400/child (~S$16.82), but keep in mind that it’s limited to 1 hour.
Image credit: Klook
If spending the holiday on a farm has ever crossed your mind when planning a family overseas trip, give Pushin Ranch a shot. It’s a dairy farm that has a vast field with animal figures and is open for picnicking and camping for the whole family.
Of course, the main attraction is the farm, where kids can feed and interact with animals like alpacas, kangaroos, capybaras, and cows.
Take a tour on Pushin Ranch’s cow-themed trolley (TWD30/pax, ~S$5.62) that takes you around its scenic spots. The tour ends at a milking station that even gives kids a go at milking a cow.
The fun doesn’t end there, though. Let your kids unleash their creativity by doing a DIY workshop (TWD60, ~S$3), where they can paint animal money banks to take home.
What if we told you that you could take photos with the Arc de Triomphe, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Statue of Liberty, all in a day? That’s possible with a visit to the Window on World Theme Park, which has over 100 mini replicas of historical landmarks from all over the globe.
Apart from satisfying your wanderlust, the park also has rides like roller coasters and bumper cars to quench any thirsts for adrenaline too. There’s even a water park that’s open in the summer from July to August that has a wave pool and water slides.
With a safari, water park, and amusement park with more than 30 rides, it’s a no-brainer that Leofoo Village Theme Park is where you’ll want to take the family to.
Image credit: @harrisonlee2377v via Instagram
Start out with one of the park’s more thrilling rides – Mighty Mountain Flume Adventure – if your kids are feeling adventurous. The 3-storey water ride is sure to be a heartstopper with its steep climbs and even steeper drops that end with a plunge in a river. Trust us, you’ll want to bring a raincoat or a spare change of clothes for this ride.
Image credit: @mairmoo & @daiyinglin via Instagram
Your mini daredevils can even go face-to-face with lions at the free-roaming zoo. They’ll be stationed in a caged truck as staff feed these big cats. If that’s too extreme, you can still watch wild animals like rhinos, lemurs, and zebras from a distance at the Leofoo Guanshi Resort. Each room faces out to the animals’ enclosures so you can observe them anytime.
Image credit: @flora.wu.618 via Instagram
Have a kawaii day with your little ones and play dress up as ninjas or in Japanese wafuku outfits at the Dancewoods Japanese Park, which allows families to explore Japanese culture right in Taiwan.
Image credit: @ching_hsuan_pao via Instagram
Other than dressing up, there are craft activities (TWD380/pax, ~S$16.15) too, where kids can get creative painting Japanese souvenirs like a fox mask, folding fan, or carp streamer.
Or, send your kids to the petting farm, which has alpacas, capybaras, meerkats, and hedgehogs that they can feed and play gently with.
Entrance fee: ~S$12.10/person
Address: 268, Taiwan, Yilan County, Wujie Township, Section 2, Wubin Road, 號, 459
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, Daily
Contact: +886 3960 3808 | Dancewoods Japanese Park website
If your kids bugged you to visit the new LEGO Airport Stores at Changi Airport, then surprise them with a visit to the Brick Ark Museum. It’s the first ever LEGO museum in Asia with more than 1,000 sculptures made out of LEGO bricks. You’ll spot well-known characters like the Minions, Olaf from Frozen, and even celebrities like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Image adapted from: @weng201810 & @szh8491 via Instagram
The sculptures are sure to spark a creative streak in your little ones, so sign them up for a LEGO keychain workshop, which is included with museum admission. You’ll even get a complimentary drink at the cafe.
Outdoor theme parks may not be suited for toddlers, so we suggest you head to the SKM Mall for playtime at Yukids Island, a kids’ indoor playground with soft play and climbing areas. Entrance costs TWD485/pax (~S$15.75), but it gets your munchkin a full day of play.
That’s enough time for them to explore the multiple slides that lead to ball pits and even a sandbox for kids to play with excavator toys. There’s also role-playing activities, where they can don costumes to pretend to be firefighters and doctors. Work on their skills in communication, counting, and healthy eating too with the play-pretend grocery shopping section.
Image credit: @mikomiko20190926 via Instagram
We’ve all known a kid that could name you every dinosaur that ever existed. If that kid happens to be yours, then set a vacation day aside for a visit to Baiguo Mountain Explore Paradise. It’s a theme park filled with dinosaurs – fake ones, of course – that are just waiting for you to take pics with.
Now, pretend as they may be, some of the dino figures can move their heads and tails, and even let out a loud roar. Just something to take note of, in case you think Jurassic Park is now a reality.
The photo ops are just a small part of the park; there are also slides, a bouncy castle, and an “excavation” sand pit for kids to dig around in. They’ve got roller coaster rides too, which are all family-friendly, so your kids get to hop on any of them as they like.
Image credit: 盧 via Klook
When you enter the park, don’t forget to pick up the map activity sheet. Not only will it give you directions, you can use it to collect stamps every time you go past one of the landmarks listed. Collect them all and you can exchange the completed map for a replica dinosaur egg.
Entrance fee: TWD300 (~S$12.75)
Address: No.12-1, Chushui Lane, Yuanlin 510, Taiwan
Opening hours: Thu-Tue 10am-6pm (Closed on Wednesdays)
Contact: +886 4 836 9411 | Baiguoshan Discovery Park website
For SG kids who don’t get to experience winter, there’s always Snow City. But there’s also Little Ding-Dong Science Theme Park, which has the steepest artificial snow slope in Taiwan. First-timers in snow can slide down in rubber tubes, while those who are a little more experienced can opt for a beginner’s ski course (TWD1,099, ~S$46.60).
It’s a science park so expect to be educated with their interactive exhibits like mind-bending illusions and marine-themed glow-in-the-dark displays.
You can even defy gravity in the Turn The Wizarding World Upside Down exhibition, and have a good laugh taking incredible photos of your little ones sticking to the roof.
They don’t have mermaids at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore, but you can meet a few at Farglory Ocean Park, Taiwan’s largest marine park.
There are mermaid shows at the Ocean Exploration Pavilion, where you can watch them swim gracefully in the water. For mermaid-obsessed kiddos, you can even book a meet-and-greet session for them to wear a mermaid costume and tail and take pics with a mermaid.
Image adapted from: @klay_liang via Instagram
The mermaids may be the centre of attention, but the Ocean Park Rides will be a close 2nd. They’ve got thrilling theme park classics like the rocking Blackbeard Pirate Ship and the Clear Sky Cable Car that gives you an aerial view of the whole park.
Image credit: Farglory Ocean Park
There’s so much to see and do, we recommend visiting the park over a couple of days. Or, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, book the Farglory Ocean Park Sleepover Experience.
You’ll get a 1-night stay at the aquarium where you and your kids will have a sleepover with dolphins. It also comes with 2 days’ admission to the ocean park, so you’ll have plenty of time to comb through all the attractions.
Image credit: Alishan National Scenic Area Headquarters
It doesn’t have to always be thrills and spills when it comes to entertaining kids. Sometimes, a scenic train ride does the trick, like the Alishan Forest Railway. The 111-year-old train brings you through misty forests and cherry blossom tunnels in spring.
It even makes a stop at Jiaoliping Station, where you and the kids can hop off to visit the Yuantan Creek Ecological Park. The area teems with insects, particularly fireflies, and provides excellent opportunities to see them during its season, which is from April to September.
Soak your feet in the cold stream after a 1.5km hike to the Xiangshan Falls.
Image adapted from: Alishan National Scenic Area Headquarters
The fireflies are only visible at night, but you can also make a day trip and hike along the 40-minute Yuantan Trail to admire 1 of the 3 serene waterfalls in the park.
Image adapted from: @zebrawithcircle via Instagram
See if competitive blood runs in the family when you race go-karts with your littles ones at the Suzuka Circuit Park. It’s named after the one F1 drivers race in Japan, but this one is kid-friendly with its go-karts and speedy amusement park rides.
After the kids have had their fill of fun, it’s the parents’ turn to indulge. Take the tram from the park to nearby SKM Park. It’s an outlet mall filled with brands you know and love, like adidas, Coach, and Tommy Hilfiger. Stay till the evening and you’ll also be treated to an illuminated park that’s quite a delight to witness.
When you’re out of ideas on where to go during school breaks, give Taiwan a visit, and it might just be your new favourite option for a getaway. With a blend of cultural immersion, scenic panoramas, and unique experiences, Taiwan can give a good travelling experience for the whole family.
For more things to do in Taiwan:
Cover image adapted from: Farglory Ocean Park, @mikomiko20190926, @_shainachen_, & @leda_1229 via Instagram
#6 is a dilapidated condom lorry.
It's that time of the year again. Find out how you can give yourself extra…
Where on earth do all the flowers come from? Any there any hidden features? We…
All aboard this luxury panoramic train, which has scenic views of lush Indonesian landscapes as…
Maybe you’ll be able to conclude which is your favourite neighbourhood after.
If the usual malls and cafes in JB are getting stale, consider heading over to…