Playground at Watten Estate

We have found our favorite playground! It is shady, has lots of seating areas for moms, boasts a sand play area, a web climbing structure, swings, slides, a flying fox, more climbing structures, lots of green grass just for running around... It is big yet small enough for me to watch my boys from a bench. The play areas are kinda separated so I don't have kids trying to run in-front or behind the swings... Even though they were quite a few kids playing at the same time, it didn't feel crowded. And I liked how there was stuff for both the big kids and the little kids. :)

Today, I sat there reading a book while my boys built sand castles for an hour! Bliss!

Pack your sand play toys, a picnic... Bring along a good book, and enjoy! It is near the junction of Hillcrest Road and Watten Estate Road.

A Penguin Named Chocolate

Nathan likes parrots, for reasons unknown to me. When we received an invitation to the Jurong Bird Park, I accepted without hesitation since we haven't been there in a long time.

The bird park is home to thousands of birds across 400 species. Among all the exhibits, I love the open concept Flamingo Lake and Pelican Cove best... It is nice being able to see the birds up-close, and yet not behind a cage. My boys liked watching the penguins best. And the BEST part of our visit was the ongoing Penguin-Razzi event. Nathan had the opportunity to learn more about penguins from a very knowledgeable staff. She told the kids about the different species of penguins we had at the bird park, what they ate, how their bodies are designed, and even got specimens of the penguins flippers and fins to show the kids. At the end of it all, the kids got to meet and greet a real penguin; the Bird Park's celebrity penguin named Chocolate. So named as his feathers were dark brown when he was first born. Noah was thrilled to have a penguin up close and kept wanting to touch it!

Penguin-Razzi Event

A photo with Chocolate

Penguin-Razzi runs on weekends (at 11.45am and 1pm daily) from now till 29 Dec. Pre-registrations are required, and limited to 30 children (aged 5 to 12) per time slot. You can register at the penguin enclosure 20 minutes before the event. Do confirm the time slots on the day of your visit, in case there are any changes.

In addition to the penguin-razzi event, we also managed to catch the King of the Skies Show and the High Flyers Show. These two shows are must sees! Do include them in your itinerary when you visit the Bird Park... after all, how often do you get to hear a parrot singing "客人来" and "Happy Birthday"?

King of the Skies Show

High Flyers Show

From now till 31 Dec, you'll get a free child ticket with every adult ticket purchased. Yes... Kids get to go in free! Plan a visit to the Bird Park before the year ends!

Disclaimer: We were invited to the media preview of Penguin-Razzi. All opinions are my own.

This Mama Loves to Read

If you love to read, you'd probably like to know where to find good books, and where to find them cheap. The Groovy Giraffe is a Singapore based website that stocks remainder books. Remainder books are new, overstock, overprint books. Most of them are in excellent condition and cheaper than other bookstores. Use discount code "mamasdesk" to enjoy 5% discount off all books (except 'Bargains'). Free shipping applies for orders above S$60. Books are typically shipped within 3 days. 

I share some of my favourites here with you...

Books for the New Mom

Humphrey Baby Record Book by Sally Hunter

Record your baby's firsts in this beautiful gift book. It will be a treasured keepsake in the years to come.

Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel

Is your baby ready for solids? This book gives you a whole lot of yummy ideas.

Books for Babies

Ladybird Touch & Feel by various authors

A series of board books with touch and feel elements that little hands will love.

Elmer's Colours by David McKee

The colourful elephant that many kids love. I bought this book to introduce colours to my toddler. He loves it! Find many more titles in the same series at The Groovy Giraffe. 

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

A classic tale that tells of how Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare express their love for each other.

Books for Toddlers

Charlie & Lola

The endearing brother and sister pair that we so love to read about. Numerous titles from the same series available from The Groovy Giraffe. 

Charlie Cook's Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson

Charlie Cook is reading a book about pirate, who is reading a book about Goldilocks, who is reading a book about a knight... a delightful book with familiar characters that your child would recognise.

Julia Donaldson is one of our favourite children authors. We love the other books that she's written like The Gruffalo, Gruffalo's Child, The Smartest Giant in Town, and The Snail and the Whale. The Groovy Giraffe might just be stocking more of Julia Donaldson's books in the near future. Check back often!

One Fish Two Fish Ref Fish Blue Fish by Dr Seuss

Find this and more more titles by Dr Seuss at The Groovy Giraffe.

The Berenstain Bears Book Set

I grew up watching the Berenstain Bears on TV and was glad to be any to introduce them to my boys.

Adults

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Author of the bestseller 'The Tipping Point', Gladwell brings us another book that examines the road/s that lead to success.

The Book of Inventions (National Geographic)

As with all National Geographic publications, this is a coffee table book with many beautiful photographs about the many inventions that we use in our daily lives.

Find these and many more great books at The Groovy Giraffe! Remember to use the discount code "mamasdesk" to get 5% off your order.