"A Night at the Airport" Family Camp in Changi Experience Studio

The airport has always been one of our favourite hangouts because of all the diverse, fun and family-friendly activities you can find there. Ever since Jewel opened in 2019, we visit it regularly because we love admiring the majestic Rain Vortex, the kids like the food options available (A&W, anyone?), and we love that there are many things to see, play and learn as a family.

One of our most-loved attractions in Jewel is Changi Experience Studio (read our review here) even though we've been there umpteen times already. The kids never fail to have lots of fun and learn a thing or two about the airport as they laugh, play and relax. So when they heard that we were going to have a whole day of fun at the airport and even have a stayover in Changi Experience Studio, you bet they jumped for joy and looked forward to it with much excitement.

The highly popular "A Night at the Airport" camp returns for the third year and will take place from 19 November to 23 December. This year, the theme is sustainability which we really love because it teaches the kids the importance of being eco-friendly and recycling whenever we can. Here's a sneak peek into what you can expect at the camp and I've also shared more happenings on my IG reel and highlights so hop over to see more.

Amazing Sustainable Family Quest

Go on a fun and educational quest around the airport and learn about its sustainability efforts to go green! By downloading an app and solving the clues one by one, we made our way around T3 and Jewel and were awed by the facts we learnt. For instance, did you know that old raintrees from the former T1 carpark have been recycled and made into benches? 

There are also missions to complete and these include fun tasks like taking a selfie of you drinking water from the Rain Vortex or going on a scavenger hunt to gather colours of the rainbow. We spent a good two hours travelling around, answering questions, picking up new knowledge, and taking photos of the picturesque scenery along the way. It was a truly amazing mum-and-kids quest for us and I know we will remember this unique first experience for a long time.

Sustainable Festive Ornament Workshop

With Christmas just around the corner, how about making a one-of-a-kind recycled Christmas tree to decorate your home? We were appalled to learn about the millions of trees that are cut down every Christmas even though we've never had a real tree in our house. The kids were thrilled at the notion of making a DIY tree and seeing the variety of craft supplies laid out on our table made all of us eager to begin.

I was impressed by the different samples of trees crafted out of cardboard, paper and egg cartons and gave my thumbs up to the staff's creativity. We decided on one that we loved most of all and got to work straight away. The kids and I took turns to cut, glue, stick, paint and decorate and seeing the finished product gave us an immense sense of satisfaction.

With Christmas carols playing in the background and the festive mood in the air, we let our creative juices flow as we work on our tree. This was such a wonderful bonding activity for the three older kids and myself and I appreciate this crafting opportunity very much.

Games and Rides at T3 Underground Carnival 

Everyone loves carnival games, right? Well, it's time to get moving and head out for more fun after the winding down craft session. In case you don't know, T3 has been transformed into a huge underground carnival comprising of three main zones - The Great World, The Modern World and The Future World. There are over 30 fun games and rides waiting the kids to play, including bumper car, viking, ring toss, shooting, basketball, balloon darts, fishing, spinning teacup, carousel, train rides and more.

Some of these games, especially the ones at Great World, are nostalgic, and they evoked so many fun memories of my growing up years. I am glad to see that they brought so many smiles to the kids too and they simply couldn't get enough of all the fun. The games start from $5 and each child will be given $10 credits as part of the camp. You can get extra carnival credits by purchasing on iChangi app or buying a physical card from the ticketing booths.

Important note: The "A Night at the Airport Camp" is recommended for kids aged 5 to 12 and those below the age of 4 will not be accepted. However, the carnival is open to kids of all ages so feel free to let the whole family have some fun together.

Magical Stayover at Changi Experience Studio

Now for the highlight of the camp - the stayover, of course! We love that we got to stay in tents which were nicely set up in the Changi Experience Studio when we got back from dinner. Oh, by the way, food is not provided in the camp but there are countless eateries in Jewel that you can head to for lunch, dinner and next day's breakfast.

Our tent were randomly allocated and we were lucky to be given the ones with an awesome view of the Rain Vortex. I initially assumed that the floor might be quite hard to sleep on but we were given air mattresses that provided cushioning and there was also a rug beneath the tent so that we wouldn't feel cold. We were given instructions to bring along sleeping bags, pillows and comforters and these came in handy too.

At 10pm, we caught the last Rain Vortex Light and Sound Show which was beautiful beyond words. JJ Lin's song "As I Believe" was playing and along with the myriad of pretty colours and majestic waterfall, the sight was simply breathtaking. For that moment, we were totally mesmerised.

There was this handicraft corner which showcased various recycled Christmas decorations, including a reindeer sleigh, a snowman and Santa Claus, made lovingly by the staff at Changi Experience Studio and I thought these art pieces were creative and brilliant. We put our own Christmas tree right beside our tent that night and it made everything feel extra warm and cosy.

 > Amenities

- Shower

For those who are wondering, we bathed and washed up right inside Changi Experience Studio which has a a spacious and clean toilet. There are two shower cubicles in each of the gents and ladies. After you arrive for the camp, you will be asked to choose and book your 30-min slot. Father and son can share one cubicle while mum and daughter takes another, or if you have more kids, simply just book more slots. If you miss your timing, not to worry, the cubicles are free for use after 10pm so you can still take a shower before bedtime. Do remember to bring along your own towel and toiletries as these are not provided.

> Board games

For the kids who are still energetic and in the mood for play after dinner, board games are available and you can take your pick. We were so thankful to have the company of Life's Tiny Miracles and the kids were happy to play and catch up with one another after not meeting up for so long. Friends can make a world of difference, right? They chose to play Monopoly, Twister and tried out Scrabble for the first time too.

Single day tickets to Canopy Park and Changi Experience Studio

Tickets to Canopy Park and Changi Experience Studio are provided as part of the camp package. These are valid for the day itself only so do make your way to either of these two places to have some fun during your free pockets of time. Canopy Park closes at 10pm while Changi Experience Studio closes at 8pm to public. However, campers are free to play within Changi Experience Studio till the machines shut down at slightly after 10pm.

Additional Perks

Wait, that's not all! You will also get to receive the below when you book the "A Night at the Airport" camp.

> Tickets to Singapore Zoo upon completion of quest

Each member will receive a ticket (worth $48) to the Singapore Zoo after you finish the Amazing Quest. I don't know about you but we love the zoo and thus this is a fabulous prize in our view.

> Premium for every child 

Each kid will also receive a premium when you arrive which will totally make them feel welcome.

> Free parking coupon 

Each group can receive a complimentary parking coupon which is valid till noon the next day.

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All in all, this was an amazing experience and we are thankful to have the chance to do it as a family. The kids enjoyed the different activities thoroughly and each brought us much fun and joy. If there is anything we have to nitpick, it will be that there were some renovation works going on till past midnight and we also heard children laughing downstairs in the wee hours. That said, this was out of the organisers' control and we understand that the airport is after all a public space. 

Well, at least my kids didn't seem to be affected as they slept through the night after all that exhaustion. We woke at 7am the next day and went to have toast for breakfast after packing up our stuff and brought home lots of happy, precious memories.

Will we want to do this again next year? The answer is, without hesitation, YES! I know my kids will be thrilled to spend a night at the airport again for sure. We totally recommend this activity to all families who are looking for some fun this year end holiday.

Have a wonderful start of the holidays, people!

******

"A Night at the Airport" Family Camp

Location: Changi Experience Studio, Jewel

Period: 19 November –23 December 2022

Timing: 9:00am – 8:00am the following day (meals are not provided)

Pricing: S$78 (Adult) | S$88 (Child) 

Recommended Age: Families with kids aged 5-12. Children and babies below 4yo will not be accepted.

Get S$5 Changi Pay e-Voucher when you book 'A Night at the Airport' camp from 10 November 2022 onwards. T&Cs apply. 

To book, visit https://www.changiairport.com/en/changifestivevillage/stay/a-night-at-the-airport.html.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored collaboration between A Happy Mum and Changi Experience Studio. We were invited to the media preview and stayed over for a night in writing this review. All photographs and opinions are our own.