A Full Day of Fun Activities at Link@896 - A Hidden Gem for Families at Bt Timah

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I've got a confession to make - I drove past Link@896 along Dunearn Road countless times but I would not have known it is home to numerous activities for kids and families. That changed the moment I stepped into the shopping mall.

You know, the building that used to be Sime Darby Centre? Yep, that's the one.

Now known as Link@896, it is ridiculously convenient to get to - it is located right in front of King Albert Park MRT Exit B! 

Even better, it is filled with family-friendly tenants so that you can plan a full day’s worth of things to do at the mall – and save yourself the hassle of travelling from place to place... and looking for parking (if you drive)!

Psst, even if you don't drive, you can enjoy Link@896's free and comfy SHUTTLE SERVICE (Mondays to Fridays, from 8:30am to 10pm and Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays from 9am to 9.30pm)! See HERE for the list of designated bus stops as well as timings.

Don't believe? Just read on!

9AM

BREAKFAST TIME

Start the day right at Kong Cafe (#01-11), a Korean-style ‘brunch cafe’ that serves all-day breakfast, specialty coffee, home-made pastries, crispy waffles and its famous Honey Butter Wings. Come dinner time, it morphs into a ‘Korean snack bar’ by serving authentic Korean Street Food.

If crossan'wiches and pancakes are more your style, there is Burger King (#01-09) for that dash of fast food treat for the kiddos.

10AM

NATURE WORKOUT

Stuffed? It’s time to get active. Link@896 is situated just beside the Green Corridor, which gives you the perfect excuse to bring the family outdoors for some fresh air and soak in the beauty of nature.

The Bukit Timah Railway Truss Bridge is merely a 4-min walk away from the mall, with the Old Bukit Timah Railway Station another 2-min walk away. Kids will have fun walking along the gravel-filled rail tracks as well as simply running among the open green spaces.

Of course, there are ample IG-worthy photo opportunities too. 😁

12PM

LUNCH BREAK

All that trekking will probably have worked up a ferocious appetite. So head back to Link@896 and find yourself a seat at Cedele Bakery Cafe (#01-07), where you have the best chance of finding your picky little eaters something yummy.

Started as a humble bakery in 1997, Cedele has since grown into a food and beverage chain that specialises in both artisanal baked goods and casual daily dining. Tuck into their all-day Full Works breakfast set consisting of bacon, mushrooms, sausage, scrambled egg and toast.

 Or fill up those stomachs with a wide range of sandwiches made from the freshest ingredients.

A must-try? I recommend the Basil Pesto Chicken Sandwich Thins, a low-carb option but yet extremely tasty one too. 

Perfect for me! 😄

Round off lunch with sweet treats for the whole family with a generous selection of cakes. We tried three of Cedele's most popular ones - Gula Melaka Pandan Cake, Red Velvet Cake and Carrot Walnut Cake. 

Let's just say the wifey and me barely had one mouthful of each cake. LOL.

Craving for Korean food? Then Bab Muk Ja Korean Restaurant (#01-06) next door which offers traditional Korean home-style food and BBQ is perfect.

1.30PM

GET CREATIVE

With bellies full, it's time to indulge in the activities that Link@896 has to offer. And if there's no other place to get the kids' (and parents') creative juices flowing than at Happy Art Loft (#01-12).

Think Happy Art Loft as a space for everyone to create, play, learn & share through art & craft.

Set up by a tribe of passionate artists, Happy Art Loft is a place where all can make art & enjoy art. No experience required.

It has a variety of well-designed structured & progressive art lessons that cater to diverse interests & abilities, including art jamming sessions and a range of craft workshops for both kids and adults. Their lessons are carefully curated with a mixture of various themes, techniques & media to revel the best creativity & imagination of each individual.

One can sign up for weekly lessons, or just walk in for a spur-of-the-moment craft session!

Which was precisely what Ale did.

Ale chose to decorate a mirror case with simulation cream and oh-so-cute tiny knick-knacks, which is really a breeze for kids to get started on craft work.

Parents can just drop off their kids at the studio and happily go off for a tea break or stock up on groceries before returning later to pick them up. OR in the wifey's case, she was so enamoured by the craft that she 'volunteered' to stay and look after Ale.  🤣

So she ended up decorating her own hair clip as well, while Ale progressed to decorating a photo frame.

Guess they were all extremely satisfied with their work... and it was super therapeutic too, as shared by the wifey.

3.30PM

GET ACTIVE

If sitting down and churning out crafts isn't your cup of tea, then how about expending some energy by scaling some walls?

BFF Climb (#02-01D) is a climbing gym that offers a variety of bouldering and wall-climbing challenges that cater to different skill levels. So whether you are a novice, intermediate or advanced climber, there is definitely a wall that will be right up your alley!

For young kids, there is the Play Zone, a family-friendly zone that is suitable for kids and full of climbing features that make climbing fun. Kids will love going up the 'Climb & Slide' structure and zooming down the slide as a reward!

To get the kids acquainted with bouldering (that's wall-climbing without a safety harness because the level is low), there are a series of walls that allow them to get the hang of climbing using different colour-coded grips for various difficulty levels.

For an added dose of fun, they can proceed to the AR Wall which blends technology with sporting activity for more climbing action.

If they are feeling more confident, they can take on the High Wall where they can scale to even higher walls with a belay system. 

Or even challenge one another at the Speed Wall!

At the Play Zone, children aged 4 years old and above may be dropped off without adult supervision. Ticket admission is $27 and excludes the rental price of climbing shoes. Children aged 3 years old and below must be accompanied by a paying adult (each adult may accompany up to two children aged 3 years old and below). Adults can also join in the fun for the same entry ticket price regardless of age (excludes rental of climbing shoes).

For older kids who are 13 years old and above, they can head to the main Boulder Zone ($22 for 3 hours, excluding rental of climbing shoes) where loads of climbing await.

And when I say loads, I am not kidding.

Where to begin? Luckily, BFF Climb is a beginner-friendly climbing gym where there is a beginner zone catered for climbers who are just starting or have never climbed before. Hey, that sounds just like us! 😁

Truth is, it is super easy to pick up after receiving some pointers from the BFF Climb coaches.

Just like at the Play Zone, there are various colour-coded grips on the bouldering walls that provide different difficulty levels. And after a few tries, the monkies were already tackling the Level 5 and 6 ones!

No wonder they are called monkies. Heh.

Before coming to BFF Climb, I thought that arm strength plays the most important role in determining whether one gets to the top. Boy, was I wrong! Bouldering requires brain juice as well, because going up the wall is like solving a puzzle - you have to see where the climbing holds are and plan your ascent in advance... because hanging on at one spot saps energy!

There is even a Kilter Board which offers a greater challenge. Tilted at 30 degrees, the wall provides an unlimited number of routes which lights up as you attempt to complete it.

Little wonder then that my two teens declared BFF Climb as a super cool place to hang out!

NOTE: The Boulder Zone is strictly for those aged 13 years old and above. Kids aged 12 years and below have the Play Zone to hone their climbing skills. However should they wish to experience bouldering at the Boulder Zone, they can sign up for BFF Climb's classes! 

Oh, and a shout-out to Little Splashes Aquatics (#02-01C) too which is an aquatic school that provides swimming classes to babies as early as 3 months old to adults of any age with an indoor heated mineral pool!

Located just beside BFF Climb, Little Splashes Aquatics specialises in the cognitive development of infants and toddlers through sensory play in swimming.

6PM

HUNGRY FOR DINNER

By now, everyone was hungry like wolves! So there is no better way than to end the day having dinner at Lao Jiang Superior Soup (#01-14).

Founded in 2011, local heritage Lao Jiang Superior Soup provides simple but delicious food with a taste of home. As its name implies, it is famous for its traditional double-boiled soups which are a must-have if you are there.

One of its most popular items on the menu is the Signature Superior Soup with Dry Hor Fun. The broth is super rich and flavourful and Ale called first dibs on that after savouring the soup.

If you are more of a 'rice' person, go for the Chicken Essence Soup with Rice or Vinegar Pork with Rice which are both satisfying and good enough for one person.

I had the Signature Classic Beef Stew, and loved how tender the beef was while the wifey enjoyed her Signature Dry Red Yeast Mee Sua.

To top everything off, I strongly recommend the Fried Spice Pork Belly - a superb fave of the kids... because there was none left for the wifey and me. AGAIN.

If you prefer Italian, there is La Pizzaiola (#01-10) next door too.

7.30PM

GROCERY SHOPPING

If you require to stock up on groceries, you can do so at either Meat United or Cold Storage.

Meat United (#01-08) retails more than just the standard fare of steak, chops and sausages. Styled as a contemporary butchery, it sells premium meats and fine foods - perfect place to head to if you are planning a BBQ, steamboat or grill session at home!

As for Cold Storage (#02-01), I don't think any introduction is necessary.

What I can say though, is the supermarket is pretty huge with wide aisles so it makes for a great place to bring the kids to for grocery shopping.

No worries about them running into people... or a pile of canned food. 😅

In fact, I have also heard that the Cold Storage here stocks a wider choice of variety of items that not many other supermarkets offer, like its extensive cheese and cold cuts range.

So there you go, from eating to shopping to kiddy play, families can enjoy a full day of FUN at Link@896!

Important Information

Link@896

896 Dunearn Road, Singapore 589472

Website