Family-Friendly Events in Singapore, 21–27 September 2026
The last weekend of the Mid-Autumn lanterns, free music at the Esplanade, a museum that costs a citizen family nothing, and how many childcare leave days you actually have.
Things to do with kids this weekend
Celestial Nights at Science Centre Singapore
A lit Celestial Trail runs from the Science Centre to the Japanese Garden, with stops on the moons of the solar system, and it is free every night until Sunday. On Saturday there is free stargazing and moon-viewing from 7.45pm to 10pm, weather permitting, and a planetarium show with telescope viewing costs S$4. The trail ends at Jurong Lake Gardens, so it pairs with Lights by the Lake on the same evening.
Crossing Borders free weekend at Esplanade
Crossing Borders runs through September at the Esplanade, and this is its last weekend. Every programme listed for Saturday and Sunday is free: Sound of Okinawa on both days, FEVER (dance) and Joy and Community: A Journey through Latin America on Saturday, and an Afro-Brazilian percussion workshop with SAMBIESTA on Sunday for children who would rather play than listen. Times and stages are on each programme's own page.
Lights by the Lake at Jurong Lake Gardens
This is the last weekend of Jurong Lake Gardens' Mid-Autumn festival, with lantern displays, cultural showcases, music and family activities from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. The lanterns stay lit until 4 October, so if Saturday is too full there is another week to see them. Start at the Science Centre's Celestial Trail and walk it into the gardens.
Mid-Autumn Festival at Gardens by the Bay
Sunday is the last night of the lanterns at the Bay, and admission is free. The Singapore Big Flag Championship runs from 1pm to 7.30pm that day and the Dragon Dance at 7.30pm closes the festival. Craft Corner at the Colonnade runs on select dates, with fees for some activities, and children 12 and under who are Singapore residents get into the Flower Dome free until Sunday too.
Storytime at Tampines Library
Half an hour of stories read aloud for children aged 4 to 12, and parents are encouraged to stay and listen. Arrive ten minutes early; the session is in the Books for Babies section, so a younger sibling has shelves of their own afterwards.
Children's Museum Singapore
Entry is free for Singapore citizens and PRs, in four timed slots a day of 1 hour 45 minutes each. Book up to 30 days ahead, because walk-ins are not guaranteed and tickets lapse if you are more than ten minutes late. It is the indoor option if the weekend turns wet.
Deadlines in September
All good — no nationwide deadlines for September. Still worth a look at the Coparent app for the personal ones tied to your child's date of birth.
On the horizon
One thing, explained
How many childcare leave days do I get, and do they carry over?
Childcare leave is paid leave from work to care for a Singapore Citizen child under 13. It comes from MOM, and each parent has their own.
While your youngest is under 7, you and your spouse each get 6 days a year. Your employer pays the first 3 at your gross rate; the other 3 are reimbursed by the government, capped at S$500 a day including CPF. Once your youngest is 7 to 12, it drops to 2 days a year, fully government-funded at the same cap. With children in both bands the days do not add up: the total stays at 6. There is a lifetime cap of 42 days per child.
There is nothing to apply for with an agency, and the law asks for no notice period and no medical certificate. What matters is using them in time: unused days do not carry over, and they cannot be cashed out. You can see the days you have used on the Government-Paid Leave portal.
The date to know is the reset. Your days lapse at the end of each 12-month period, which is the calendar year unless you agreed a different one with your employer, and they are also lost if you change employers partway through. A merged scheme of 8, 10 or 12 days, depending on how many children you have, was announced at the National Day Rally on 23 August 2026 but has no start date yet, so plan on today's rules.
Source: MOM, 2026-08-25 · official page
Family deals this week
Flower Dome free for children 12 and under
Children aged 12 and under enter the Flower Dome free from 5 to 27 Sep. Singapore residents only, not for organised groups. Adults pay the usual admission. This is the last weekend.
National Museum free for children 6 and under
Children aged 6 and below go in free, and Singapore citizens and PRs enter the permanent galleries free with NRIC. Open daily 10am–7pm, last tickets 6pm.
Kids dine free on weekdays at Vineyard, HortPark
A kids' meal for a child under 10 with every main course, Monday to Thursday, dine-in only, through 30 September. Pairs with the HortPark playground.
Coparent is a personal assistant for parents in Singapore. Give it one date and it lays out every benefit, deadline and decision from pregnancy to the end of primary school — dated and sourced. It never touches your money, your accounts or your signature.
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Every government scheme above carries its official source and the date we read it. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Singapore Government or any agency. We never recommend insurance or investment products. This is not financial advice and does not replace an agency's own guidance. Full disclaimer.