The CTG Honest Review of Cool-de-Sac

Ok, so there are plenty of mommy/daddy blogs out there with honest reviews of kids activity playgrounds and other such places. So I'm not going to do that. Not that I won't be honest, but that I think I should be brutally honest instead.

Today's playground in question: Cool de Sac

Location: Great! Suntec City, accessible by bus, MRT, Taxi, Car. Ample parking space in the carpark. Apparently, nobody's back in Suntec City after their massive renovation, so if you go on weekends, you'd find plenty of space in the carpark, and no queues at the eateries.

What's innit: This franchise from the United States boasts "stations" within their playground, like physical structures for climbing and freeplay, a drawing area, a stage for dress-up and face painting, an extensive lego section, a video game console section for older kids (or their dads), and of course a toddler zone with soft structures and mini ball pit. There's also a seating area where you can order food from their attached bistro.

The scoop: Ok, so my kids are 3, and they love playgrounds. They love to run, jump, climb, and take slides. So the slides featured well in their play itinerary. Unfortunately this slide area is kind of small, and challenging for their height. But with 3 year-olds, it kept them entertained for a long time. There's also a flying fox station, which unlike the automatic one at Polliwogs Robertson Walk, this one is "manually operated" by a staff member, who "carries" the child along the flying fox. (Poor fella, we asked him how long he had to do that and he said his shift was like 8 hours, haha!) There's also this climbing bridge/treehouse/thingy where the twins had fun up and down with.

The other stations weren't too appealing for them - they couldn't play video games (the games kind of suck and the consoles seemed a tad faulty), the wait for dress-up and face painting was waaaayyyy too long. And drawing and lego only held their attention for 10mins because hey, they do that at home all the time. There's also a toddler area for under 3s which is pretty spacious, but nowhere as entertaining as the RW Polliwogs one (that one has 2 slides for "babies", mind you!)

Decor: Bright, spacious, airy. Has glass windows. Great lighting. Loads of colour, very nicely done.
 
Details: Shoe locker and stroller parking area is probably ample for weekdays, but we went on a Saturday morning, and boy, it was overflowing. Parking strollers was a challenge... they were parked until outside of the designated zone. The staff's attention to temperature-taking and hand-sanitizing was low too -- they did not bother at all. However, they had many many staff. All of them were friendly, and it was good because they helped mind the kids. But it must create very high operational costs for Cool de Sac (read: higher entry fees for us).

Verdict: It's a little expensive for me to bring both kids here on a weekend all the time, (I think they have packages though), but if you're in the area and need a rest from whiny kids, I think Cool de Sac should more than suffice. There's also a large area and bistro for you to chill while your kids play. Because the playground is spacious without tall structures and pillars, it's pretty easy to keep an eye on your kids too. I didn't try the food but the pizzas look good. And yes, there are areas for holding parties as well.

Cool de Sac
3 Temasek Boulevard

Suntec City Mall #02-379/80

Singapore 038983

http://cooldesac.com.sg/

Admissions

Weekdays

Children under 6 months           FREE
Children under 3 years old        $10

Children from 3-12 years old     $20

Weekends
Children under 6 months           FREE

Children under 3 years old        $13

Children from 3-12 years old     $26

Information: 

1. Unlimited play time per admission
2. 2 accompanying adults are allowed in free with every child
3. Subsequent accompanying adult is charged @ $5
4. Socks are to be worn at all times