So it’s finally the weekend and its time to hang out with your best buds. Ditch your dinner plans for something new.
So it’s finally the weekend, and after rounds and rounds of scheduling a gathering, a day is finally set. But you’re totally out of ideas, other than the usual eating, drinking and the occasional game of billiard. Plus, it’s frustrating trying to even find someplace that can accommodate all of you at a go.
Like that how? Go where?
Instead of the standard buffets and barbeques (not saying they aren’t good—they’re definitely still the best bet for large gatherings), why not try these activities out the next time you hang out with your best buds?
Feast On BBQ Food On Donut Boats
Anything barbequed is sure to be universally accepted – and it has been all the rage in Singapore. It’s a popular choice for gatherings, since it helps take the awkwardness out if everyone is busying themselves with cooking or eating.
While we have the Korean Barbecues, Thai Mookata or the standard do-it-yourself at chalets, it can get pretty boring after a while. Cooking your own food minus the risk of burning the kitchen down or having to clean up sure sounds attractive, but why not experience that while floating in the open sea.
We’re not joking with this – the Floating Donut Company offers a range of packages, depending on how much you’re willing to splurge. Donut-shaped boats with a barbecue grill in the centre are available for rental, but you’re not allowed to bring your own food on board. On a tight budget? Their cheapest is the Snack & Cruise option at $48, or for an extra $10, you can get their BBQ lunch package.
The Floating Donut Company Siloso Beach, Sentosa
Sashay Your Way Up The Bowling Alley
Unless you often dominate at bowling sessions, it often gets boring having to wait as each person gets their turn – especially in larger groups. Regular bowling is overrated, cosmic bowling is all the rage now. Imagine doing a victory jiggle to the tune of the pulsating dance music from the speakers every time you hit a strike.
With disco lights and luminous balls and pins, it essentially is a glow-in-the-dark bowling experience. Call it a lame, family-friendly club but you definitely won’t be bored waiting for your turn. It may not be the best place for conversations so save this for gatherings with people you aren’t really close with. You don’t have to pay a premium for this either, just the regular rates for a game—SGD4.80 at peak periods and SGD 4.20 during off-peak times.
Orchid Bowl @ E Hub, SAFRA Yishun, THE Chevrons Tuesdays & Wednesdays 8 pm to midnight
Embark On A Forest Adventure
If your group of friends are on the sporty end of the spectrum, then tumbling about in the great outdoors should sound more up your alley. Adrenaline-junkies looking for a thrill fix, you can swing on flying foxes, dangle across suspension bridges and take daredevil leaps of faith from death-defying heights.
Stray away from the usual food gatherings and we promise that your friends will be thanking you for your Albert Einstein suggestion.
Forest Adventure Bedok Reservoir Park
Picnic In Style
Instead of doing a potluck every time you plan for a picnic, why not just pay the experts to do it instead? Save yourself the hassle of coordinating and pretending to enjoy the food your amatuer chefs concocted.
There are actually a few startups providing these services but Picneeds go a step further by providing different themes for the picnic. You can choose from five different themes like a bohemian-inspired or the classic take on picnics, with the iconic red-and-white checked mats. Picneeds prices start at $150 for a basic package and $220 for thematic ones. While their services sure comes with a heavy price tag, you can definitely focus on the social aspect of the picnic.
BOUNCE Your Day Away At Singapore’s X-Park
There isn’t a moment of stillness at Bounce Singapore, where you can jump off walls and fly through the air. Their X-Park is essentially an indoor adventure challenge course (a la Ninja Warrior obstacle).
This epic playground combines elements of climbing and running before you can zip down an aerial runway to the finish line. It’ll make for a fun gathering seeing as how you can show off your sleek moves or laugh when someone makes an epic fall.
Each element can be explored as a stand-alone challenge or navigated as one circuit with different levels of difficulty so you definitely won’t be out of your league.
BOUNCE Singapore X-Park Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
Test Your Arm Strength At This Indoor Batting Cage
For those into ball games, why not enjoy a game of baseball or softball in all of its glory. The group will also be spared from that one person complaining about the blazing sun. Homerun Baseball offers an automated indoor baseball/softball batting cage. For $20, you’ll receive 5 tokens for non-members while students get a special rate of $10 for 3 tokens.
Whether you want to pitch or bat, each token entitles you to 15 balls for batting or 12 for pitching. It’s a good calorie-burner, and who knows, you might even hit a homerun here!
Getting a good crack at a ball – right in the sweet spot of the bat – is mighty satisfying.
Homerun Baseball Sports Stage, Ayer Rajah CC
Play A Game Of Pinball On This Augmented Rock Wall
One of the latest trends on social media after a video of two people playing ping-pong on an augmented reality rock-climbing wall went viral.
Let ’em Play by The WOW Experience is not only Singapore’s first kid-friendly indoor high elements obstacle course, but also the first place to offer the markedly exciting Augmented Reality Wall. While not all of your friends would want to travel to ulu Boon Lay, perhaps entice them with the interactive games that enhances the whole climbing experience.
These climbing walls are the world’s first global gaming platform with a user experience unlike any other. You can create various interactive and competitive games if you’re one who is easily bored by the activity itself. We highly encourage this for your next group gathering, so you can challenge them for a competitive game of ‘pinball’ on the rock wall!
Let em Play Singapore Tradehub 21, 18 Boon Lay Way
Go For Indoor Prawning With Air-Conditioning
Some still call it the “uncle pastime”, but there is still some fun in catching huge prawns and then savouring your freshly grilled loots. Spend the long waiting time catching up on each of your vastly different lives or sit back, relax and grab a pint of beer for $11.
This one at Bugis comes with air-conditioning, so you don’t have to worry about mosquitos, stuffy environment and ulu location that comes along when you think of prawning. It’s also open 24/7, perfect for those nocturnal homies in the mood for something to do after dinner other than a midnight movie or supper.
Fish@Bugis+ 201 Victoria Street
Embrace Your Inner Katniss
At only $15, you finally have the chance relieve your favourite Hunger Games moments in a game of combat archery.
Adrenaline-junkies will love this action-packed game combining elements of paintball, dodgeball and archery. It’s 100% safe and painless – so you can even convince the most “scaredy-cat” of friends to join you in this game.
They use special foam tipped arrows, giving you a chance to practice shooting at no one’s expense. This activity might be better off for those in bigger groups, since it’s a team-based one. Basically, teams have to defend their own zones while trying to eliminate other teams and take over their sections. Definitely a way to bring people closer.
Combat Archery Choose from any of their sheltered venues