Family Fun at Changi Experience Studio {Review & Giveaway}

We love going to Changi Airport.

It's not because we travel often but because it has everything you need for a family day out - restaurants, food courts, viewing malls, arcade, playgrounds, café, retail outlets, supermarkets, specialty stores, bookstores, kiddy rides, slides, exhibitions, themed events, pop-up stores and the list goes on. Since Jewel Changi Airport opened its doors in April this year, we've been there a handful of times already and the Rain Vortex - which is the world's tallest indoor waterfall - still takes my breath away every time we see it. I simply love this nature-themed mall that comes with this reposeful forest setting and it has become one of our favourite places to visit on weekends.

Last week, we found another reason to love Jewel Changi Airport even more. We checked out the highly raved Changi Experience Studio and to our amazement, we spent over five whole hours in that place! It was stated that we could finish the activities within 90 minutes and that we did, but the kids wanted to keep on playing those that they loved and let's just say it was a pretty long list. Yup, if it weren't for the fact that it was past dinnertime and we were starving, I bet we could have stayed on for even longer.

What's so fun about it? Well, this first-of-its-kind digital attraction won our hearts because of the impressive state-of-the-art technology, fun-filled interactive games, immersive shows and an interesting, unique way for both adults and kids to learn about aviation, airport operations and the history of Changi Airport. I'll be taking you on a tour around the studio below and for those who are keen, read on because I have family bundles (each worth $84) to give away to three of you too!

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN

Opened on 10 June this year, Changi Experience Studio conveniently sits on Level 4 of Jewel Changi Airport. You can purchase your tickets at the machine or over the counter. For Singapore residents, the tickets retail at $19 per adult and $13 per child (6-12yo) or senior citizen (60yo and above). For non-residents, tickets are at $25 and $17 respectively. Kids below the age of six can enter for free. There are timeslots to choose from and you are required to enter within an hour of your stipulated timing. However, once you are in, there is no limit to the duration of your stay within the attraction.

Before you go in, you will be given your Travel Guide (see below). Keep this with you because it is practically your key and ID for all the activities later on. The kids played till one of theirs was torn in the middle and it couldn't be read properly on the scanner, so do take good care of your guide if you can.



CLOUD 

Are your kids a fan of butterflies? If they are, the good news is you will be guided by virtual butterflies from the beginning to the end of the studio tour. After entering, the first zone that you will step in is Cloud and this is where you can open up your Travel Guide and see the beautiful butterflies land on what initially seemed like a white piece of cardboard to me. It's pretty beautiful to watch and the butterflies even let you know their names as they welcome you to the journey (see my video at the end).

TIME TUNNEL 

Step into the Time Tunnel to learn about the historical milestones of Changi Airport and see how we've evolved over the years. It's a good way to let the kids understand how we've come a long way and undergone many significant events before we became the world-class airport that we are today.

HANGING GARDEN 

Did you know that Changi Airport has its own nursery? Well, I sure didn't. Step into the lush greenery in the Hanging Garden to find out more about Singapore's aviation history, expansion plans, airfield management and other operational processes simply by placing your Travel Guide over the different stations. At the horticulture station, you can even let the kids try propagating seeds like sunflowers and bougainvillea - using projections on the guide, of course - and learn about the different flowers that are grown right in the heart of our airport.

AMAZING RUNWAY 

This was a hit with our kids and I believe it's one of the most popular stations for many families too. The Amazing Runway is a multiplayer game for up to 10 players and it is based on an actual event that happened in the year 2009 where Changi Airport closed a runway so that a Porsche 911 GT3 Carrera Cup car could race against a Boeing 747 jet plane. Yes, I'm serious! Players will be split into two teams, one representing the Porche and the other the Boeing, and once the time starts, be ready to pedal away and race down the runway.

I tell you, this game really took my breath away! Twice. Or thrice maybe, but barely. It doesn't matter if I won or lost, I think to be able to endure and keep pedaling till the time was up, that was a big achievement for me already. Haha.

For the younger kids who are not able to reach the pedals on the stationary bikes, take note that there is a Hand Grinder machine on each side so while parents and the older kids pedal away, they get to build up their arm strength too. I was amazed by how much they loved it and didn't want to leave the station!

See Ariel's name below? You can enter your nickname and customise your own Travel Guide at the machines inside the Studio. That way, you can see your name appear when you achieve a high score in the games.



SKY DECK 

The Sky Deck shows you all the cities in the world that our airport is connected to and I have to say it was mind-blowing. Do we even realise how blessed we are to be so well-connected to the rest of the world? It was a good way for the kids to get acquainted with their geography and they could also move their Travel Guides over the cities to learn a fun fact about each of them. Oh, and this station makes a great photo backdrop too, right?

SMILE CHALLENGE 

Now, this is the one station that we spent quite a lot of time at and kept re-visiting too just to try our 'luck' again. The Smile Challenge is inspired by the airport's customer service and all you have to do is flash your best smile to see how you rank against others. We have no idea how the scores were measured and in any case, they kept fluctuating too which was why it was fun to try again and again. 

The funny part was at one point, Asher came running up to me crying and as a result, my eyes were half closed and my smile became half-hearted when the picture of us was taken and yet it ended up being one of the highest scores we got all day! Haha. I also officially became the one with the best smile in the family because my scores were unbeatable by the hubby and the kiddos.

That was..... until the hubby tried umpteen times and discovered that he could achieve higher scores by going "HA! HA! HA!" - you know, like Santa Claus but Ha instead of Ho - as loud as he could (luckily we were quite alone by that time). And.. he managed to win me by a point eventually and gave me the smug look. Okay lor, you win.

As if smiling was not enough, the girls decided to do all kinds of crazy and silly poses and instead of just watching them, we decided to join in the fun too. This is how you want your kids to remember you, right? Parents who know how to have fun, who are present with them and who are still young at heart.

ARENA

The Arena is the interactive game zone where you get to learn about the airport's operational processes in a fun and engaging manner. No wonder they could stay here for hours, right? Let's see, they could steer trolleys and try to collect as many of them within the time limit, they could be taxi coordinators and help passengers board their taxis, and they could be screening officers and attempt to spot prohibited items in cabin baggage.

These were totally fun to play and very new to us, so even the hubby and I enjoyed ourselves immensely too. Think Daytona, Crazy Taxi and Spot The Differences. No wonder this seemed like an arcade zone to us, haha. I have to say the spot the items game is really challenging because the items are well hidden and the time limit is short, so have a go at that when you are there.

There is also this Butterfly game that we enjoyed a lot and basically, you just have to tilt or turn your Travel Guide to control your butterfly and let it collect nectar drops and candies along the way. It gets faster and faster and if you are good enough, your butterfly will be flying at the speed of light till it bumps into too many obstacles and comes to an end. Based on the scores you achieve, you will also receive discount vouchers which you can make use of at the Gift Shop when you exit. My best score was 405 points and that entitled me to a 20% discount voucher, not bad, right?

BACKSTAGE

If the kids love to try out more games and wish to challenge each other, hop over to Backstage which is opposite the Arena and get a glimpse behind the scene as you learn about the job of the our airport staff. You get to play games which are inspired by airport processes such as immigration, check-in, baggage sorting and aircraft turnaround.

We particularly liked the baggage sorting one where you have to decipher which bag goes on which conveyor belt and as the difficulty increases, it can get quite tricky and confusing at times!

If you love photo opps, then don't miss out on the chance to be a Changi Hero as you strike your best pose on the runway or in any of the scenes given. Once you confirm the pictures, they will be added to your Travel Guide and you can purchase the printouts at 3 for $10 when you exit.

Don't be afraid to let your hair down and get a little wacky with your poses too, these make the best memories and get the most laughs!

GARDEN OF HARMONY

The Garden of Harmony is my personal favourite because I love how surreal it is and how it has a mesmerising, calming effect on me. As you wind your way through the lily pads - you can touch them and see how the butterflies react - you will end up in a garden surrounded by soothing lights and huge projection screens.

Step inside of the lit up zones and you will be assigned a musical instrument on your Travel Guide. Move it up and down and when you and your band hit the 100% mark, be ready for an awe-inspiring audio-visual treat as the symphony begins. We loved it so much that we came back to do it several times, even when all the guests had left and we were alone - which was when the magic felt even more magical. I saw the big girl started dancing to the music (see my video for more highlights) and for that moment, we all felt free.

The Garden of Harmony symbolises the relentless efforts of the 50,000 crew in our airport community who work hand in hand to keep Changi Airport going strong so we can take pride in it as Singaporeans. It's a team effort for sure and we applaud everyone who contributed in one way or another.

FINALE 

Don't miss out on watching the Finale show - which lasts over three minutes - in the theatre. It loops over and over again so you can watch it when you manage to get all your kids to come back to you, haha. The doors will open automatically when it's time so don't force your way in, okay? We were in luck - because we stayed so late - and were the only ones there and I really enjoyed the clip very much. It showcases how far we've come since the construction of the first terminal and how much more we can still go too. Perhaps, into space one day as the ending suggests?

This virtual world in Changi Experience Studio definitely took us above and beyond what we expected and it was an amazing and most effective way to let the kids learn through play. Now, sit back and watch this clip which showcases some of the highlights you can look forward to.

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GIVEAWAY

Good news! I have THREE family bundles (each consists of 2A2C tickets worth $84)  to give away to you! To join in the giveaway, leave a comment in this post with your name, email address and your favourite activity in Changi Experience Studio. Indicate in the widget that you have done so and to increase your chances of winning, you can choose to carry out the rest of the options.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Terms and Conditions
This is an international giveaway and open to all Singapore and overseas residents above the age of 18. The giveaway ends on 11 July at 2359hours. Winners will be chosen and contacted through DM, they are required to respond within 48 hours or replacement winners will be picked. This giveaway is in no means endorsed by or affiliated with Facebook or Instagram.

Best of luck, everyone!

Disclosure: This is a collaboration between Changi Airport and A Happy Mum. We received a media invite to visit and review Changi Experience Studio. All photos and opinions are our own.