Family-Friendly Events in Singapore, 28 Sep – 4 Oct 2026
Children's Day falls on the Friday, so primary schools are closed and the weekend starts a day early: a free children's festival at the Esplanade, the last nights of the lanterns at Jurong Lake Gardens, and what the government adds to your child's CDA.
Things to do with kids this weekend
Octoburst, a children's festival at the Esplanade
Children's Day is Friday 2 October and primary schools are closed, so the weekend starts a day early. Esplanade fills the centre with free programmes for children — a children's choir, a flower studio, roving musicians, mass games, pop-up storytelling, and an installation of stories written by children from across Singapore.
A Universe In Sounds at PIP's PLAYbox
Half an hour inside the world of Pangu, built out of ripples, wind, stars and silence, with gentle movement children join in. Five sittings a day across both days. It is free, but only one adult is admitted per child, and everyone needs an Esplanade&Me membership, which is also free — sign up before you go rather than at the door.
Lights by the Lake, the last two nights
The lantern displays run to 4 October, so these are the last two nights. Five lit scenes of the Legend of the White Snake line Lakeside Field, Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit sit on the ponds in the Chinese Garden, and Princess Kaguya and a shoal of koi light up the Japanese Garden. No ticket is needed. The Cloud Pagoda light show and the Sunken Garden lotus display both ended on 27 September, so it is the lanterns themselves you are going for.
Print-a-Tote Adventure at Tampines Library
A beginner screen-printing workshop for a parent and a child together, run by Maussy Studio with persons with disabilities as part of the library's Abilities Unlocked series. All materials are provided and no experience is needed; the tote goes home with you. Arrive ten minutes early, because seats can be released to walk-ins.
Australian Girls Choir at Gardens by the Bay
An hour of song and dance in the open air — musical theatre standards, original Australian pieces and world music. It is listed as a free programme and it is outdoors, next to the Flower Dome entrance, so you can come and go if an hour is longer than your youngest will sit still for.
Deadlines in October
All good — no nationwide deadlines for October. Still worth a look at the Coparent app for the personal ones tied to your child's date of birth.
On the horizon
How does CDA co-matching work?
The Child Development Account is your child's account under Baby Bonus. Whatever you deposit, the government matches dollar for dollar, up to a cap that rises with birth order. It is run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and the child has to be a Singapore Citizen.
For a child born from 14 February 2023, the cap is S$4,000 for a first child, S$7,000 for a second, S$9,000 for a third or fourth, and S$15,000 for a fifth or later child. Counted together with the First Step grant, that is S$9,000, S$12,000, S$19,000 and S$25,000 of government money in the account.
There is no separate application. The account is opened as part of Baby Bonus enrolment, at your own bank — POSB/DBS, OCBC or UOB — once enrolment triggers the notification; there is no single government portal for it. What is in the account can pay childcare and kindergarten fees directly, by GIRO or NETS, at a Baby Bonus Approved Institution.
The dates. The match window closes on 15 December of the year your child turns 12, not on their birthday — a deposit after that date goes to the PSEA instead of being matched. If the cap is not used up by then it is not lost: the rest can still be matched into the PSEA before your child turns 18, which almost no parent realises. The cap itself is also changing. These caps run to 31 March 2027; a child born from 1 April 2027 has a flat S$5,000 cap at every birth order under the SG Child Support Package, and children already on the older caps move to S$5,000 on 1 October 2027, with 30 September 2027 the last day to use headroom above it.
Source: MSF, 2026-09-02 · official page
Family deals this week
Children's Day bundle at Science Centre Singapore
From 2 to 4 October the KidsSTOP and Omni-Theatre bundle is S$14 a child and S$9 an adult for citizens and PRs, against usual prices of S$18 and S$13. It covers KidsSTOP admission and one Omni-Theatre show during the same visit, subject to availability.
Children's Museum Singapore is free for citizens and PRs
Entry is free for Singapore citizens and PRs; everyone else pays S$10 a child and S$15 an adult. Entry is in timed slots at 9am, 11am, 2pm and 4pm, each 1 hour 45 minutes, and the museum closes for cleaning between 12.45pm and 2pm. Tickets stop working if you are more than ten minutes late, so book the slot you can actually make.
A free membership that gets you into PIP's PLAYbox
Esplanade&Me membership costs nothing, and a PIP's Club badge comes with it for anyone with a child aged 12 or under. Admission to PIP's PLAYbox — a loft, a craft area, a reading corner of books by Singapore writers and illustrators, and an outdoor play area — is free and for PIP's Club members only. Worth doing before Saturday if you are going to A Universe In Sounds, which asks for the same membership.
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.