Marine Cove Playground at East Coast Park

In case you hadn’t heard, mama, the massive (like, 3,500 square metres massive!) new Marine Cove playground as East Coast Park has just opened up following a four-year redevelopment project. It’s so big, in fact, that it’s zoned into two separate areas for littles (aged 2-5) and bigger kids (5-12). We checked it out today with two of our resident “experts” — check out our gallery to see all their favourite features.

There’s plenty for mamas to love, too: first off, there’s ample parking adjacent to the playground. The playground offers beautiful sea views. And there are five different F&B options to choose from, including plenty of caffeination for tired mamas!

Pro tip #1: There’s not much shade available, so your best bet is to visit in the morning or late afternoon (we’ve heard it’s already been quite crowded late in the day). Otherwise, be sure to pack lots of sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of water, mama!

Pro tip #2: We’ve heard that dogs are not allowed at any of the food outlets, even in the outdoor seating areas, so be mindful of bringing your pooches along to play.

Marine Cove at East Coast Park, 1000 East Coast Parkway (near Still Road), Singapore 449876

Both our toddler and our primary schooler had a blast at the 3,500 square meter park, which has separate play areas with age-appropriate structures for toddlers and older kids.

There are swings aplenty at the park of all different shapes and sizes, a welcome addition since this is something East Coast Park had been sorely lacking.

The playground is filled with special needs-friendly equipment, including this swing along with sensory play panels that help to develop a sense of discovery, motor skills, hand-eye coordination, rhythm and movement, and improve attention span.

The main attraction at the playground is an 8-meter high tower that’s modelled after a lighthouse and accessed by several different rope climbers. There are also 3 different slides down. Given the shade this area provides we have a feeling it will always be pretty crowded.

There are slides of all shapes and sizes throughout the playground. Metal slides like this one will probably get pretty hot at midday, so keep that in mind, mama. The giant round swing is designed to encourage a range of motions, such as spinning, rocking and swinging to improve muscle control.

Among our kids’ favourite features was the colourful (and challenging) rock climbing wall.

Both our kids LOVED this musical interactive structure where kids can select different games and have to touch the lights as they appear (you can play alone or with two people, and you can select modes like “Firefighter” and “Ninja”).

We like that the toddler area seems to be on a smaller scale for little ones, with mini slides and smaller climbing structures.

The toddler-friendly area of the playground includes talking tubes, a funhouse mirror, and even a drum set.

While there may not be much shade, there are nice shower facilities right on the premises to help your little ones cool off, along with child-size toilets (and plenty of toilet facilities for grown-ups, too).

Disappointingly, there isn’t a nursing room, however.

A much-anticipated McDonalds will be reopening on 2 July (good luck keeping the kiddos away from that!). In terms of more mama-friendly fare you’ll find a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Babalicious (Peranakan Food), Hill Street Coffee Shop and My Briyani House. All have outdoor, shaded seating with views onto the playground. Score!

We are so thrilled that this massive play structure has opened on the East Coast just in time for summer. Why not combine a trip to the playground with building sandcastles on the beach, or chili crab dinner at East Coast Lagoon Hawker Centre? Whatever you choose, we hope you have fun doing it together, mama.

Marine Cove at East Coast Park, 1000 East Coast Parkway (near Still Road), Singapore 449876