Awesome FUN at Westgate this June School Holidays!

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"What? Why can't we go to the one near our home? Aren't all malls the SAME??"

That is the typical response I get whenever I tell the monkies we are checking a shopping mall that we have not been to. Actually, I do understand where they are coming from and in all fairness, they might just be right. 

Shopping malls in Singapore are typically the same - filled with the same shops, same eateries and some with even the same plastic playground equipment. Well, not if you go to Westgate which is home to the most awesomeness outdoor playground you will ever find in Singapore's shopping malls.

But more on the playground later, I promise.

A lifestyle and family shopping mall located at the heart of Jurong Gateway in Jurong East, Westgate is directly connected to both Jurong East MRT station and Jurong East Bus Interchange. More than just offering a variety of shops that meets the varied needs of shoppers, Westgate houses a courtyard for alfresco dining, international/high street fashion, IT and electronics stores, Isetan department store and supermarket, food court and restaurants.

I know I know... even with such a wide array of shopping choices, parents will lament that it is too difficult to shop in peace with kids in tow. Been there, done that. But what if I told you there was a magical place in Westgate that you will be able to let your kids play in a safe environment for 2 whole hours while you shop to your heart's content?

Say hello to Westgate Kids Club at Level 5, an interactive playground designed for children aged 2 to 12 where kids get engaged in a variety of fun activities - all under the watchful eyes of Adventure Captains.

Open daily from 10am to 10pm, the indoor play area is filled with books, movies, LEGO and make-believe toys - enough to make any child go wild with excitement I reckon.

Kids Club Weekend Workshop, held on Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm and 6pm, allows the kids to participate in games and make crafts with the supervision from the Adventure Captains.  This June, kids will go on a prehistoric adventure and make dinosaur-related crafts!

All along, I have assumed that the Westgate Kids Club consisted of only an indoor play area for kids so imagine my surprise when I discovered that there is actually more to the Kids Club than meets the eye.

There are a total of 8 play zones which include a Magical Story-telling Tree, House of Mysteries, Mr. Caterpillar's Bridge, Magical Mushrooms and Knock Knock Doors.

All play installations have been designed to be interactive, fun and... possibly for kids to wish that their parents take their own sweet time to shop!

Or at least that was what happened to Ale, who could not get enough of the trampoline in the middle of a mini maze.

For free admission to Westgate Kids Club, parents need to spend a minimum of $60 at Westgate, JCube and/or IMM to admit 1 kid to Kids Club for 2 hours on the day of purchase. Yes, you read that right. You will be able to use receipts from JCube and IMM to redeem for entry to Westgate Kids Club, as long as all receipts are presented on the same day of purchase.

But why not be a member instead? Just spend $250 at Westgate, JCube and/or IMM to enjoy a 6-month membership and 1 admission on the day of registration! Members also enjoy a FREE 2-hour admission to Kids Club from Mondays to Thursdays until 4pm, as well as require only a spending of $30 during other days and times.

A point to note: you can still drop your kids off at the Kids Club prior to shopping by giving a deposit of $10 (for Kids Club Members) or $15 (for non-Members) which is refundable when you produce shopping receipts.

And speaking of receipts, do NOT throw them away when you shop at Westgate this Great Singapore Sale season as they come in really handy between now and 28 June 2015! How handy? How about winning a Hyundai Santa Fe 2.4 Auto 7 seater worth $90,500 (excludes COE)?

With every $60 spent, get a chance to participate in Westgate's “Where’s Wesley?” Lucky Draw. Simply present your receipts at the Concierge on Level 3 to redeem a Chance Card and zoom down to this colourful wall mural on Level 2.

Count the number of Wesleys (Westgate's blue cat mascot) on the wall mural and place your Chance Card in the respective answer boxes beside the wall. And no, I don't know the answer... especially since Ale gave me different answers every time she attempted to count the total number of Wesleys!

Bump your spending up to $100 and receive a MegaBounce or CrazyBounce trampoline rides ticket worth $10!

And trust me when I say that your kid will love you for it!

Because let's face it, which kid doesn't like bouncing on many trampolines on the CrazyBounce, or even soaring through the air at the MegaBounce?

Ale, who was initially scared to go on the MegaBounce, enjoyed herself so much that she refused to stop bouncing in the end!

Looking for something milder after all that adrenaline? Look out for these signs hanging from the mall's ceilings.

From now until 28 June 2015, 5 trickart pieces have been installed at different levels of the mall and if your kids are like mine who simply love posing with trickart, then the pieces will not disappoint.

And the posing will be made worth your time too, as you stand a chance to win up to $100 CapitaVouchers while you are at it!

Take part in Westgate's #Trickart Instagram Contest and upload a photo or photo collage of the Trickart pieces located at B2, B1, L2, L3 and L4. Hashtag each photo entry with #westgatefantasy and the corresponding hashtags (e.g. #westgateB2) and you might just be posing with CapitaVouchers after that!

Of all the levels in Westgate, Level 4 is arguably its most kid-friendly level with shops that are clearly geared towards with families in mind.

Besides kids fashion, toys and books, take your pick of kids-centric establishments from the likes of My Gym (#04-39), Yamaha Music Square (#04-40), The Learning Lab (#04-33), I Love Learning Achievement Center (#04-09), Avenue Kids (#04-14), The Ballet School (#04-10), Mindchamps (#04-16/17) and BabySPA (#04-34).

But in the eyes of my monkies, the biggest attraction of all on Level 4 has got to be this.

Adopting a Fantasy Garden theme, Westgate Wonderland, is Singapore’s largest thematic outdoor playground featuring three zones. A cosy play area, featuring interactive elements such as flowers with musical sounds and lights that respond to touch, is exclusive for kids aged 5yrs and below while older kids have their own space for rowdy play.

On top of it all, there is the perennial favourite - a water playground for kids of all ages to enjoy. At the heart of the water play area, a large watering can with an active spray nozzle towers over the children, making all of them drenched and deliriously happy. Mini water fountains are also planted all around, increasing the splashing fun factor.

A nice touch at this playground is the presence of a Blow Dry Room (it's FREE to use!) and Changing & Shower Room located just beside the wet area.

Older kids can scale a 10m-high tree house and come whizzing down a meandering tube slide.

The tree house is connected to a giant play structure, so children can climb, slide, run or hang to their hearts' content.

The thing about the tree house is that parents can lose sight of their kids while they are in the process of climbing to the top as the upper portion is covered. So if you wish to keep your eyes on your kids instead, there is the option of a smaller climbing area beside the tree house - in the form of a giant flower pot.

Here, everything and everyone will be visible at all times, with an equally meandering slide awaiting the children when they reached the top.

And if parents get tired by just seeing all the kids climb and run amok, they can grab a seat on the cute mushrooms, logs or fruit chairs while still being able to see their kids jump, crawl, climb, play and swing deliriously to their hearts' content.

Oh and here's a tip: if you go during the night time, the playground's magical surroundings come alive at night with special lighting and sound effects!

Brimming with a chock-ful of activities to keep the kids entertained and promotions to keep the parents happy, Westgate is no doubt one of the best shopping malls to be this June School Holidays!

For more information, visit Westgate's website. Like Westgate's Facebook page and follow its Instagram page (@westgatesg) for more updates and promotions!