We love to hang out with our friends and family. I know I do. Hanging out with friends or family is great because we can strengthen the relationships and friendships with each other plus it's a great way to spend our free time. After a whole week of working, it is definitely a good idea to hang out with our friends or family or both at least once a week. In this article, I will be discussing how to make your outings last even longer so that you get to make the most out of it and create fun memories together. Instead of just going to a shopping mall and do some window shopping, here are some tips to make your trips more worthwhile, memorable and save some money at the same time. Read on further to find out more.
This is the very first article in a new category on Frenzeelo called ZeeloTips. Basically, I will give readers tips and tricks on how they can make their stay in Singapore a fun one. I first thought of this idea when I was writing an article about the best rooftop gardens in Singapore and I stopped for a while as I wanted to concentrate more on my regular articles. Fast forward to today, I have decided to continue writing these kind of articles for about once or twice each month under a new category called ZeeloTips. Don't worry about the other articles about the best of Singapore's places, food and events because I will still be covering them in addition to ZeeloTips. If you have any ideas, suggestions or just want to give me feedback on ZeeloTips articles, do drop a comment or email.
Visit Outdoor Places
Don't we just love the great outdoors? The outdoors have fresh air and sunlight to keep ourselves fresh and relaxed. Singapore has plenty of outdoor places like forests, parks, gardens, beaches and so much more. Instead of going to a shopping mall or walking along the pavements of busy roads, it's probably a great idea to visit the outdoors. If you and your hang out group are feeling adventurous, you can head over to forests like the MacRitchie Reservoir or the Southern Ridges. Don't worry, you won't get lost because all you have to do is just follow the pathways that were already prepared for you. Plus, you can print out a map which you can obtain from their respective websites.
If your hang out groups still want to visit the great outdoors but prefer not to walk inside forests, don't worry about it because there are plenty of other outdoor places you can check out. If you don't mind getting your feet wet and sandy, you can check out beaches like East Coast Park or Sentosa's Beaches. Alternatively, there is also the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the recently opened Gardens By The Bay botanical gardens which you and your hang out group can visit to breathe in the fresh air and find out all the different kinds of plants and trees available. They have plenty of shelters and seats if your hang out group feels tired and want to head somewhere to rest. Other parks worth checking out include Labrador Park and West Coast Park.
Visit Indoor Places
After heading outdoors for a while, you and your hang out group may want to head somewhere that is air-conditioned to cool yourselves down. Or maybe your hang out group just doesn't want to visit the outdoors. That's alright because there are plenty of indoor places to check out and have fun too like the National Library. Okay, maybe the National Library may not be that fun for most of you but you and your hang out group can browse for books, magazines and newspapers they are interested in at the Library. Just make sure you keep your volumes down. The rooftop gardens at the National Library are very peaceful places and some of the levels also feature exhibitions and galleries that talk about history if you are not really interested in reading books.
Alternatively, your hang out group can also drop by museums like the National Museum or Singapore Art Museum and find out the history of Singapore and Singapore's art culture. Some of the installations are interactive plus many of them feature videos which you can view. Most public museums especially the ones that are owned by the government's National Heritage Board offer affordable admission rates for visitors. Some like the National Museum and Singapore Art Museum offer free entry on Friday nights and during public holidays so it's best to check out their respective websites to find out more. Another indoor place to check out are free public galleries like the Singapore City Gallery, Marina Bay City Gallery and the HDB Gallery.
Eat Something
After a long day of walking around outdoors or gaining knowledge in museums or both, it's time to take a break and get something to eat. Thankfully, Singapore is considered a food paradise so it's not really that difficult to get something to eat here. There are various kinds of food establishments that are found in Singapore like buffet restaurants, casual restaurants, cafes and fast food restaurants. These places offer delicious items from Burgers and Fries to Spaghetti Bolognaise. Socialising over food make it a great way to bond and strengthen relationships among your friends or family members while consuming delicious food. If you don't know where to eat, you can check out food reviews right here on Frenzeelo.
However, if you and your hang out group are strapped for cash, don't worry about it. Hawker centres are located in almost every estate in Singapore and you can find delicious affordable food like Char Kway Teow to Nasi Lemak to Roti Prata at almost all the hawker centres in Singapore. Other than that, there are also plenty of food courts in Singapore, food kiosks along with coffeeshops. Whatever your preferences, these places offer affordable and good food while giving you and your hang out group more energy for the rest of the day. If you really want to make it even more affordable or possibly even healthier, have a picnic with your hang out group. Have each person bring some food and drinks plus some other things like cutlery, cups, a picnic mat and a picnic basket. Find an open spot on the grass and there you go. It may not be the same experience as eating in an air-conditioned food establishment but at least you save money and still have fun with your hang out group while chowing down on delicious homemade food.
Have Some Dessert
Everybody has a sweet tooth and a dessert guilty pleasure. Mine is ice cream. Anyway, it's great to have a cold and sweet dessert with your friends or family after walking around for long periods plus having an ice cold sweet treat can cool ourselves down. There are plenty of places that sell blocks of ice cream sandwiches for S$1 along HDB estates and popular places like Orchard Road and the Esplanade Bridge. Alternatively, you may head to a hawker centre to get some Ice Kachang. Ice Kachang is a popular local dessert made from shaved ice and dollops of sweet syrup. Otherwise, you can also head to places like Yami Yoghurt for some frozen yoghurt if you are into that. Having some dessert is sweet but having some dessert with friends or family, is even sweeter.
If you and your hang out group have a little more money to spend, you all can maybe head to a cafe like the Coffee Bean and enjoy some expensive but delectable cakes and some cold ice blended coffee to go with it. Sure, it's expensive but it's okay to indulge once in a while and don't do it regularly because the costs can all add up. There are also some smaller artisan cafes selling delicious desserts if you are into that.
Take Some Pictures Together
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Hanging out with friends or family is great but how do you remind yourself all the good times you had with them? Take pictures together of course. This will not really work if your friends are camera shy but it's still worth a shot (pun intended). Bring a digital camera or have someone bring it and take pictures whenever possible. Whether you all are having dessert, eating out together, visiting museums or so on, these are great places to take pictures together. Do some funny poses or a funny activity because these pictures will remind you of all the great and happy moments you and your hang out group had.
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It's even better if you and your hang out group take pictures at a place that has a beautiful view like the Singapore River or the HSBC Treetop Walk at MacRitchie Reservoir. If those pictures really remind you of all the great times, you can even print it out with photo paper and frame it up. Other than taking photos, use the video recording function of the digital camera and take a video of you and your hang out group about all the great times you all had earlier on. You have seen people do this on YouTube in the form of vlogging. I'm not asking you to vlog but make a video similar to vlogging to remind yourselves of all the great memories. You may or may not upload it to YouTube so that is up to you and your hang out group.
Carry Out A Fun Activity
Other than visiting outdoor places or indoor places, you and your hang out group can visit places like waterplay areas, fitness corners or even adult-sized playgrounds and have fun. It may look a little childish but who is going to care? It's all about having fun and making your outing last long. Like what I have mentioned right before this, take a video or some photos of you and your friends/family having fun at these areas. So whether you are running around in waterplay areas, climbing ropes at adult-sized playgrounds or cycle on a stationary bike at a fitness corner, it's all about the fun you are having with your hang out group.
Alternatively, you and your friends/family can bring some sports equipment like inflatable balls, Frisbee or even badminton rackets and shuttlecocks, and play with them at a beach or garden. Preferably somewhere with an open space so that you avoid hitting people. If there are bicycle rental facilities, you can even cycle around the area or roller blade if you prefer. Another game that does not involve any equipment include fun games like Truth or Dare (although you may want to get a bottle). Whatever the activity, they all involve people in your hang out group so the relationships and friendships among all of you are strengthened even further.
In A Nutshell
There are lots of benefits when you hang out with your friends or family. By doing all of these, not only will your outings last longer, it will also make your friendships go even further. Furthermore, these memories will make you very happy and may even make you forget about all the bad memories you had in the past. I recommend you to hang out with your friends or family at least once a week or three times a month if you are really busy and make the most out of it while you're all out. When meeting each other, try to meet early around 10am or 12 noon so you have plenty of time to carry out all these great activities I have suggested. Don't forget to share this article if you really like it and don't forget to check out more ZeeloTips articles in the near future whereby I show you tips and tricks to make your stay in Singapore a fun one.