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If you are looking for one March holiday activity in Singapore that blends fun, learning and meaningful family time, Ocean Kids Festival at Singapore Oceanarium deserves to be right at the top of your list.
My daughter and I attended the media preview recently and, despite this being her fourth visit to Singapore Oceanarium, this experience still felt fresh and exciting. That says a lot. With all the special festival activations in place, she had an absolutely wonderful time. She learned more about corals and environmental responsibility through hands-on activities, became even more attached to the Oceanarium books after attending two storytime sessions with Barry the Sandbar Shark, and threw herself into the badge-making activity with so much enthusiasm that she completed it five times. For a child who already knows and loves this space, the fact that she was still this engaged tells you just how much extra value the festival adds.
Running from 13 March to 12 April 2026, Ocean Kids Festival is the inaugural seasonal programme by Singapore Oceanarium, created to bring together marine specialists, interactive workshops, storytelling and family-friendly learning experiences during the March school holidays and beyond. The event is rooted in Singapore Oceanarium’s wider commitment to marine education and conservation, encouraging children and families to not only admire ocean life, but to better understand why it matters.
Why Ocean Kids Festival stands out this March holiday
A lot of children’s holiday activities promise both fun and learning, but not all of them manage to do both well. What makes Ocean Kids Festival special is that it genuinely feels immersive. Children are not just walking through exhibits and reading signs. They are meeting experts, making things with their hands, listening to stories, dressing up and taking part in experiences that make the ocean feel immediate and real.
That really came through during our visit. My daughter was not just entertained. She was curious. She asked questions. She wanted to repeat activities. She wanted to revisit stories. That kind of excitement is hard to fake and even harder to sustain across a few hours, especially for a child who has already been there several times before.
The festival also works because it gives parents a chance to enjoy the experience alongside their children. Instead of feeling like a drop-in activity designed only to keep kids busy, it feels like a thoughtfully curated day out for the whole family.
Little Ocean Experts gives kids a close-up look at marine careers
One of the most memorable parts of the festival is the Little Ocean Expert Series, a 45-minute meet-the-expert experience created for children aged 7 to 12. Priced at $15 per session, it includes a free Axolotl Mini Plush Keychain and introduces children to the people behind marine animal care, conservation and research. Depending on the session, children get to meet a Diver, Marine Veterinarian, Marine Conservationist, Marine Researcher, Animal Care Specialist or Habitat Presenter. They also learn about the tools used in these roles before ending with a dress-up and photo opportunity in kid-sized uniforms, lab coats or dive suits. Pre-registration is required and each session is capped at 20 children, with one accompanying adult allowed to sit in at no additional charge.
My daughter absolutely loved this. She dressed up like the cutest little expert and fully embraced the experience. There is something especially powerful about letting children imagine themselves in these roles. It helps them see that ocean conservation is not some distant concept handled by anonymous adults somewhere else. It is real work done by real people and, for a moment, they get to picture themselves as part of that world too.
The badge-making activity was an instant hit
The Badge-Making Activity by Pentel Singapore runs from 14 to 22 March and is another clear crowd-pleaser. Children get to choose an ocean animal, colour it in using Pentel materials and turn it into a keepsake badge to bring home.
My daughter did this activity five times, which is honestly the strongest review I can give. She simply could not get enough of it. There is something about a creative activity that is easy to understand, satisfying to complete and linked so clearly to the wider ocean theme that makes it very hard for children to resist. It is simple, but very well done, and it gives them something tangible to remember the visit by.
Storytelling and books make the experience last longer
Beyond the main Oceanarium spaces, the Ocean Kids Festival also extends into the Research and Learning Centre with free-to-public experiences built around stories and crafts. Families can sign up for storytelling sessions based on Singapore Oceanarium’s published books, including Barry’s Ocean Friends and Manja’s Adventure with Sharks and The Adventures of Bini the Horseshoe Crab, presented in partnership with Republic Polytechnic. The National Library Board’s Molly the Mobile Library will also be present from 16 to 19 March 2026, from 9am to 5pm, giving families the chance to browse and borrow books.
This part was especially lovely for us. My daughter attended two storytime sessions with Barry the Sandbar Shark and wanted to hear the story all over again. She was completely taken by it and came away even more in love with the Oceanarium book. That is part of what makes this festival feel more meaningful than a standard attraction add-on. The storytelling creates an emotional connection. It gives children characters, stories and memories to carry home with them, and that often becomes the doorway to deeper learning.
Hands-on coral activities make environmental lessons feel real
Another free-to-public activity at the Research and Learning Centre is Create Your Own Coral Reef, where children shape air-dry clay corals while learning how reefs become important habitats for marine life.
For me, this was one of the strongest examples of how Ocean Kids Festival handles environmental themes well. It does not overload children with facts or make the learning feel too formal. Instead, it gives them something tactile and creative to do, and through that process introduces bigger ideas about marine ecosystems and responsibility. My daughter came away talking not just about what she made, but about what coral reefs are and why they matter. That is a big win.
There are even more experiences for families who want to go deeper
For families looking for more specialised add-on programmes, Singapore Oceanarium has also included deeper immersive experiences as part of the festival period. The Fossilist Workshop is a two-hour hands-on session that runs daily at 2pm and is designed for children aged 7 and above. Priced at $88 per participant, excluding admission, it allows young explorers to excavate their own fossil and learn about ancient marine life through guided discovery.
There is also Animal Spotlight: Seahorses, a 45-minute interactive small-group programme for up to eight participants. Priced at $28 per participant, excluding admission, it runs daily on weekdays and focuses on seahorse biology, behaviour and conservation. The release also notes that other Animal Spotlight experiences are available, including Animal Spotlight: Sea Jellies, where guests can learn about sea jelly care, breeding and conservation first-hand.
These add-ons are worth noting if your child is especially interested in marine life and you want to build out the visit into a fuller learning day.
Music, merchandise and themed treats add to the festival atmosphere
Ocean Kids Festival is not limited to workshops and education-focused activities. On the evenings of 14, 21 and 28 March, the Singapore Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, led by youth conductor Luo Wei, will perform at the Open Ocean zone, adding a special live music element to the programme.
Families can also explore exclusive Axolotl-themed merchandise including plush toys, keychains, apparel, jewellery, educational kits and collectibles. Across Singapore Oceanarium’s food and beverage outlets, there are themed family-friendly items such as animal-shaped nuggets, gourmet pizzas, cotton candy, popcorn and gelato, along with a mobile food cart serving festive treats. Guests also receive three chances to win a plushie at one of the claw machines located at the Oceanarium Store with a minimum retail spend of $38.
These extras help round out the day nicely and add to the sense that this is a full seasonal festival rather than a small bolt-on programme.
Why I think families in Singapore should go for Ocean Kids Festival
What stayed with me after the preview was how naturally the festival combines entertainment and enrichment. It would have been easy for this to lean too hard into one or the other. Instead, it manages to hold children’s attention while also giving them useful, memorable takeaways about marine life, conservation and environmental responsibility.
My daughter has visited Singapore Oceanarium before, but the activations made this visit feel completely renewed for her. She loved the expert sessions, the storytelling, the creative workshops and all the little details in between. She was engaged, happy and genuinely interested in what she was learning. As a parent, that is exactly what I hope for in a school holiday outing.
If you are trying to plan your March holiday calendar and want something that is engaging, educational and honestly just really enjoyable, this is one to book.
Ocean Kids Festival details
Ocean Kids Festival takes place at Singapore Oceanarium, Resorts World Sentosa, from 13 March to 12 April 2026. The programme includes festival activities, selected free-to-public experiences at the Research and Learning Centre and optional add-on sessions that require pre-registration. Tickets are available through Singapore Oceanarium, and selected programmes and add-on experiences require advance booking.
Final thoughts
Some school holiday activities are fun in the moment and quickly forgotten. Others leave children asking questions, retelling stories and wanting to return. Ocean Kids Festival felt very much like the second kind.
Planning your visit
Event: Ocean Kids Festival
Venue: Singapore Oceanarium, Resorts World Sentosa
Dates: 13 March to 12 April 2026
Website: Singapore Oceanarium Ocean Kids Festival page
Tickets: Available online, with pre-registration required for selected programmes and add-on experiences
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