Recently, Evans and I visited many places of attractions in Singapore as research for one of our articles. Even though it was a little tiring to travel between so many places, it turned out to be really enjoyable for us because we felt like we were tourists in our own country. We made the serendipitous discovery that visiting “touristy” places in Singapore can be pretty fun too! Hence, we decided to collate the list of touristy things we did and share them with you guys in this article. So here you go, below is a list of twenty fun things to do in Singapore. I have categorized the twenty things by locations: City Area, Orchard Area, East Area, South Area, and West Area. After you’ve finished reading this article, put on your sun cap, hang your camera around your neck, prepare a bottle of water, and have fun being a tourist for a day in Singapore. 
City Area
1. Singapore Flyer
The popular Singapore Flyer is located just beside Ritz-Carlton Hotel and offers a panoramic view of the Marina Bay area. On good days you can even catch a glimpse of neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia!
2. Mint Museum of Toys
If you are in a nostalgic mood, check out the Mint Museum of Toys. At the museum, children will realize that games can actually come in tangible forms other than smartphone apps, and adults will take a nostalgic journey with the vintage toys on display. These toys hail from more than forty countries, and date back to the mid 1800s!
3. Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is a great place to hang out. Spend your afternoon/evening strolling on the premise, where there is a variety of restaurants, art galleries, music shops, and quaint cafés. Maestro, a Singapore music company that designs and builds its own guitars and ukuleles, has a branch here too. On the third level, there is a large and well-furnished library with an eclectic music selection for your free listening. Last but not least, take a leisurely stroll along the Singapore River and enjoy the scenic cityscape!
4. Gardens by the Bay / Marina Barrage
Gardens by the Bay boasts several beautiful gardens on top of its world-famous “Supertrees”. Marina Barrage (located beside Gardens by the Bay) is a great place to hang out as well. Enjoy a picnic, fly kites, or bring your dog for a good run on the sprawling green field – yes pets are allowed at Marina Barrage! If you are feeling hungry after your activities, Satay by the Bay offers a variety of local delights where you can indulge in all-time favourites like Laksa, Char Kway Teow, Bak Kut Teh, and many other local foods.
5. ArtScience Museum
The ArtScience Museum is designed to resemble the shape of an open Lotus, which is a divine symbol in Asian cultures. The museum houses permanent exhibitions along with other touring exhibitions. Children will be happy to know that the current exhibition is “Dinosaurs: Dawn to Extinction”, which offers a fascinating look into the prehistoric world of dinosaurs through fossils and vivid illustrations.
6. Asian Civilization Museum
The Asian Civilization Museum is a great place for those interested in the pan-Asian cultures of Singapore. Located at the refurbished Empress Place Building, it houses 11 galleries that contains over 1300 artifacts from the civilizations of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia/ Islamic countries.
7. Kbox @ Marina Square
If you love shopping AND singing, you’ll be happy to know that there is a Kbox branch in Marina Square. Join your family/ friends/ partner in a raucous mix of oldies, pop songs, duets, and group numbers while standing on the sofa. It’s all about belting your hearts out and having fun! Most importantly, you get to spend quality time with your loved ones.
Orchard Area
8. Singapore Botanic Gardens
Stroll amidst 74 hectares of lush greenery and vivid foliage at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. This is the perfect place to take a leisurely stroll. Other than admiring the beautiful scenery, you can also laze beside the Swan Lake and catch a glimpse of the elegant swans swimming on the peaceful waters. If you like music and the arts, there are regular free performances at the amphitheatre located within Symphony Lake. Check out the list of events at the Singapore Botanic Gardens here.
9. Kbox @ Cineleisure/ Kbox @ *scape
If you are hanging out in Orchard and feeling bored, why not drop by Kbox @ Cineleisure or *Scape for a KTV session? It’s all about belting your hearts out and having fun!
10. Play Nation @ *scape
If you are in the mood for games, check out Play Nation! It is located at *Scape (beside Cineleisure). It offers over 200 board and card games, as well as more than 100 console games for the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. For the console gamers, the joint provides large comfortable beanbags for you to laze back and play your game on the large TV screen. Aspiring dancers can practice their moves using the Nintendo Wii by imitating animated characters on the screen. The prices for the games here are super affordable as well. You can feel that the owners sincerely just want their patrons to have fun and enjoy themselves. Have a great afternoon of fun at Play Nation!
East Area
11. East Coast Park
Everyone loves East Coast Park! When was the last time you dropped by this beautiful beach in the East to enjoy the scenic sea view? Stop procrastinating! This weekend, drop by East Coast Park for a day of fun. Cycle or rollerblade on the well-designated paths, have a picnic or BBQ, go for a barefoot stroll on the beach, enjoy the sea breeze, and basically have a wonderful day!
12. LilliPutt @ Big Splash (East Coast Park)
Always wanted to play golf but haven’t had a chance? If so, make your way to LilliPutt at Big Splash in East Coast Park. Do not worry about handicaps here; everyone plays on a level playing field! Test your golfing skills at eighteen golf holes, all modeled after famous Singapore landmarks. This indoor and air-conditioned mini golf course offers great fun for people of all ages!
South Area
13. Ikea Alexandra
Ikea Alexandra is a great place to check out home furnishings. You can shop for affordable furniture and house paraphernalia here. For us, we simply like to walk amidst the elegantly designed living-spaces mockups and get inspiration for our future home. It’s a nice and homely place to hang out. The Ikea restaurant offers delicious and affordable food, such as the popular Swedish meatballs and the Poached Salmon. Ikea Alexandra is open daily from 10am to 11pm, and the restaurant is open daily from 9am to 10.30pm. For those taking public transport, there is even a free shuttle service. Check out Ikea’s website for the shuttle schedule.
14. VivoCity
VivoCity is the largest shopping mall in Singapore. It offers waterfront shopping with wide, open spaces. There is a huge array of shops and restaurants, and the mall houses a movie theatre as well. For those with kids, check out the indoor playground SingKids located on the first floor of VivoCity. Polliwogs, a similar play facility that just opened recently, is located on the third floor (rooftop level). There is also an outdoor shallow pool area on the rooftop for kids to play.
15. Sentosa
If you are in the mood, why not have a day on fun on Sentosa Island? With beautiful beaches and a huge variety of attractions such as the Universal Studios theme park and the S.E.A. Aquarium, there is definitely something for everyone at Sentosa.
West Area
16. Kbox @ Safra Jurong
17. Jurong Bird Park
18. Prawning at Hai Bin (beside Jurong Bird Park)
19. Singapore Science Centre / Snow City/ Omni Theatre
20. Singapore Discovery Centre
There is a Kbox branch at Safra Jurong, which is located just beside Jurong Central park. You can also travel to Jurong Bird Park, which is just a six-minutes car ride away from Jurong Point. The Village, a tranquil enclave of restaurants and entertainment joints, is located right beside Jurong Bird Park. You can have fun prawn-fishing here at Hai Bin Prawning. If you are in the mood to learn more about Singapore, check out Singapore Discovery Centre (click here for directions) at Upper Jurong Road. It offers a variety of Singapore-themed interactive exhibitions and even houses a giant-screen three-dimensional movie theatre with an entertaining list of movies. Finally, there is good old Singapore Science Centre (nine-minutes car ride away from Jurong Point) at Jurong East, which houses fourteen galleries of science-related exhibitions, along with twenty thousand square metres of outdoor exhibition space. Make sure you visit Snow City and the Omni Theatre next door. Click here to see the cool IMAX movie trailers at the Omni Theatre!