Kids Kampong

We didn’t go to church today because K had a terrible head cold and needed some time to recover from it. After a morning of lolling about, he started having cabin fever and decided that he was well enough to go out for some fresh air. So we packed the kids into the car and drove east to Pasir Ris Kids Kampong.

The kampong is known mainly for its longkang fishing. The kids had never done it before, and were game to try. They quickly realised that longkang fishing is tougher than it looks! For one, you have to use the kampong’s net, which is very small and does not have much “give”. For another, small fish swim fast! Also, the place was pretty crowded, and although we told the girls to wait quietly for fish to come their way, other kids spoiled that strategy by splashing the water and in some cases, even falling in.

After a while, K took pity on the girls and commandeered the nets. He rapidly filled their buckets with fish, which pleased the girls no end. But Alison was not about to give up so easily, and eventually managed to catch two fish all by herself.

Not to be outdone, Zoe caught her own fish, just in a different way. She actually picked fish that K caught out of the net and carried it in her hand to the bucket!

Eventually, we ended up with about 10 fish in each bucket. The uncle manning the fish packing counter took pity on us for our paltry catch, so he topped up the fish numbers and we went home with probably 30 fish in all, which of course meant that we had to hop across to the fish shop to buy an air pump and an air stone to aerate the water in the tank they would be moving in to since the 5-foot tank has been decommissioned in preparation for our move. Actually, I would have preferred to have not taken the fish home with us, but I would have been persona non grata with the girls if I had suggested it, so I kept my mouth shut!

Kids Kampong is a fun little place to take kids if you really have nothing else to do on a weekend. Be warned though, it’s a tad pricey. The $10 admission fee gets you entry to the longkang area, two packets of fish feed to feed the koi in a separate area where there are also rabbits, ducks, geese and chickens to see, a bottle of mineral water and a cup of ice cream. You have to pay $4 for a net and bucket to fish with. Adults are not allowed to fish, although the management closes an eye to it because they know that kids on their own will not be able to catch very many of those little suckers, and they only allow one adult in to accompany young children. Also, Zoe got herself bitten by a mosquito, so if your kids are prone to bites, don’t forget the Off!

Maybe we’ll go kite-flying at the Marina Barrage next weekend!

July 4, 2010

Posted in Kids.