The best kid-friendly museums and exhibitions in Singapore that have reopened

Formerly the Supreme Court and City Hall, this behemoth of an art museum – it’s the largest of its kind in Singapore – focuses on Southeast Asian art from the 19th century up until today. It also has several kid-friendly installations that introduce the mini Picassos to the kaleidoscopic world of art through imaginative play as per the Keppel Centre For Art Education which is currently closed until further notice.

From now until July 31, families can enjoy free admission to its galleries and ongoing exhibitions. However, events, guided tours, and any hands-on activities within the museum are currently on hold but will resume at a later date.

For some art exposure at home, check out #SmallBigDreamersAtHome where the little ones can tap into their imagination with creative play including interactive games, guided art tutorials, and immersive art-viewing experiences from the comfort of their playrooms.

Previously known as the Singapore History Museum, the National Museum of Singapore is the largest local museum. It comprises two main galleries: the Singapore History Gallery, which traces the history of Singapore from its beginnings in the 14th century to the present day, and the Singapore Living Galleries, which focus on four themes: food, fashion, film, and photography.

Take the kids to the Glass Rotunda for a larger-than-life, interactive showcase called Story of the Forest which mirrors the sights and sounds of Southeast Asia’s lush tropical rainforests by bringing drawings from the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings collections to life digitally.

For an online experience, log into #MuseumFromHome: Get Curious for a series of programmes and activities including making your own performer puppets using materials found at home, engaging in music and movements inspired by the museums Early Learning Resources, and more.

The Asian Civilisations Museum is the first in the region to represent an integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilisations. It boasts 11 galleries showcasing more than 1,300 artifacts from the civilisations of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. Grab a colourful activity booklet at the museum which comes complete with stickers and postcards, and follow the trails to discover how the different faiths and beliefs were spread across Asia through religious art.

Otherwise #UnderstandEverything from Home with ACM through a virtual exploration of its collection of Asian antiquities and decorative arts masterpieces, and try your hand at recreating Asian masterpieces with household items too.

The stunning lotus-shaped building is an iconic landmark in the Singapore skyline and also a place where art, science, culture and technology come together. Its permanent exhibition Future World is a mind-bender – it takes visitors on an interactive journey of lights, digital art and magic. Together with digital art installations by teamLab, a trip here will light up your kids’ creative bulb where they can watch their 2D crayon creation transform into animations, create thrones out of colour-changing blocks, and go down an interactive slide.

Parents can get a more in-depth look at the exhibitions including 2219 with the museum's online series ArtScience at Home which features guided exhibition tours and workshops, as well as flagship public programmes including ArtScience Late, Conversations and ArtScience on Screen.

Located at the historic Istana Kampong Gelam, this museum traces the history of the Malay community from the days of the earliest settlers and the seafaring might of the Bugis villagers to the golden years of the Malay entertainment industry. Featuring six sub-galleries, exhibits include the history of Kampong Gelam and contributions made by various Malay pioneers.

Explore Singapore's significance in the maritime world with Seekor Singa, Seorang Putera, dan Sebingkai Cermin: Reflecting and Refracting Singapura. Go back in time and watch it all unveiled through the lens of various Malay world perspectives and indigenous material culture, juxtaposed against European colonial sources.

With a glowing glass façade inspired by step-wells commonly found in South Asia, the Indian Heritage Centre has a wealth of artifacts that are dotted around five galleries. They document and explore the history and culture of Indians, particularly in relation to Singapore, all the way from the 1st century to the present day.

Navigate through the special exhibition, From the Coromandel Coast to the Straits - Revisiting Our Tamil Heritage, for a collection of narratives that recount the experiences of Tamil diasporas in Southeast Asia and Singapore from pre-modern to contemporary times.

The story told here fleshes out the political history of the Singapore Chinese and makes a change from the more usual focus on migrant labour and World War II. While there are a few videos, replica objects and waxworks, the spacious halls and galleries are overwhelmingly reliant on captioned black and white archive photos. Next door is the Burmese Buddhist Temple, containing a 3m (11ft) marble Buddha, the largest Burmese Buddha image outside Burma.

What does it mean to be uniquely Chinese Singaporean? Find the answers to that and more at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), especially at its permanent exhibition, Singapo人: Discovering Chinese Singaporean Culture, which resumes on July 13. Journey through five specially curated interactive zones that spotlight elements that shaped the distinctive Chinese Singaporean identity – from food, language, and traditions to popular culture and music. Don't forget to pick up a personalised RFID wristband at the start of the exhibition, which will enable you to answer questions and play games along the way. At the end of the exhibition, the wristbands will then be used to generate customised report cards.

An institute built for the cultivation of everything scientific (yeah, science!), this kid-friendly institution features regular exhibitions that promote the physical, life, applied, technology, and industry sciences.

The centre also lays claim to Singapore’s only domed cinema, the Omni-Theatre, which is equipped with state-of-the-art IMAX technology. It also has a 40cm mega-telescope which your little astronomer can look up to the starry skies at the Science Centre Observatory. Because this observatory is one of the few in the world located so close to the equator, it offers stargazers views of both the northern and southern hemispheres.