The September school holidays 2026 run from Saturday 5 September to Sunday 13 September, and Term IV starts again on Monday 14 September. Teachers’ Day falls on Friday 4 September, which is a scheduled school holiday, so the break really begins a day earlier. That gives you ten days to fill, minus however many of them you have already promised to the grandparents.
Nine or ten days sounds generous until day three, when the tablet comes out and stays out. Here is a practical shortlist with the fees, opening hours and small print already checked, plus a few free options for the weeks when the wallet is thin.
September School Holidays 2026: The Dates That Matter
MOE published the 2026 school calendar on 30 July 2025, so these dates are locked. Worth noting if you are trying to stack leave days or book flights.
- Term III ends on Friday 4 September 2026
- Teachers’ Day, Friday 4 September 2026, is a scheduled school holiday
- The term break runs Saturday 5 September to Sunday 13 September 2026
- Term IV starts on Monday 14 September 2026 and ends on Friday 20 November 2026
- Children’s Day, Friday 2 October 2026, is the next school holiday for primary schools
There is no public holiday inside the September break, which means most working parents will be juggling. Plan one big outing and two quiet ones rather than nine consecutive adventures.
Free And Outdoors: Far East Organization Children’s Garden
Admission is free, it is genuinely good, and it opens on more days during the term break. Gardens by the Bay runs school holiday hours of 9.00am to 7.00pm from Tuesday to Sunday, with last admission at 6.00pm and the water play shutting at 6.30pm.
- Address: 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953, nearest carpark is Satay by the Bay
- For children aged 12 and below; adults are only allowed in when accompanying a child
- Toddler Play Zone is pitched at ages 1 to 5, with a swaying bridge, stepping springs and a fish fountain
- Rainforest Tree Houses and the motion-sensor Water Play are for ages 6 to 12, along a 130m forest trail
- The sheltered amphitheatre seats up to 300, useful when the sky turns
One thing that trips people up: the old entrance along the Waterfront Promenade closed on 26 March 2026 because of works for the Bay South-East bridge. Use the new entrance near the Sun Pavilion instead. The Gardens also close the Children’s Garden on a Tuesday if the Monday before was a public or school holiday, so check the site the night before you go.
Wet Weather Plan: Curiosity Cove At Mandai Wildlife EAST
September is not a dry month, and an indoor playscape is worth having on standby. Curiosity Cove sits at Mandai Wildlife EAST, 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729979, and is built for kids aged 12 and under across four zones: Wetlands, POSB Forestlands, Grasslands and Drylands.
- School holiday and weekend hours are 10.00am to 6.30pm, with last entry at 5.30pm
- Grip socks are compulsory for everyone, adults included, so bring your own or buy a pair at the entrance
- It is a shoeless space, and because the entrance and exit are at opposite ends, you collect your shoes before leaving
- Each adult may supervise a maximum of two children inside the play area
- Strollers and wagons stay outside, parked at Guest Services
Here is the kiasu bit. The unlimited weekday playtime deal does not apply during school holidays, so the 5 to 13 September window is priced as a normal session. If you have flexibility, going the week after the break reopens that option.
For Kids Who Need To Burn Energy: Rainforest Wild Adventure
The EAST zone opened in May 2026, so one ticket now covers both zones and up to nine Adventure+ activities. Local residents are paying $50 under the opening special, against a usual price of $55. The park runs daily from 9.00am to 6.00pm, with last entry at 5.00pm.
- Lemur Playground at Lemur Land, EAST zone, a set of lemur-inspired trampolines, open daily 9.00am to 6.00pm
- Canopy Playground at Red Ravine, EAST zone, with climbing nets and tall slides
- AIA Vitality Bounce, an open-sky play zone 3m to 7m above ground with a 9m slide
- Canopy Glider, a 500m glide through the treetops, and the Ravine Swing at up to 8m
- Okapi and Diana Monkey, both in Singapore for the first time, among 58 species in the park
Covered shoes are compulsory for the adventure activities, so slippers will get your child turned away. The Elevated Walkway gives stroller and wheelchair access if you have a younger sibling in tow. Bring bottles, since there are refill stations across the park.
Free Lobang Worth Knowing
Not every day needs a ticket. These cost nothing beyond transport and a packet of biscuits.
- Giant Climbing Wall at Mandai Wildlife EAST, an obstacle course up a slope and down a slide, on the mezzanine via the staircase outside Exploria
- Forest Stream Trail at Mandai Wildlife WEST, a mangrove-inspired playground in a free-to-visit space
- All Things Singapore 2026, an NLB drop-in event at the National Library Building, but it ends on Saturday 5 September 2026
- Your neighbourhood library, where school holiday storytelling and craft sessions are listed on NLB’s GoLibrary calendar
All Things Singapore is an evening programme built around local myths and legends, run with the Singapore Night Festival. It only overlaps the first day of the break, so that is a Saturday night plan or nothing.
Small Things To Sort Out First
Science Centre Singapore is normally shut on Mondays, but it opens on gazetted school holidays, which covers Monday 7 September. Hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm with last admission at 4.15pm, at 15 Science Centre Road, Singapore 609081.
For Mandai, take the M1 or M2 shuttle from Khatib MRT rather than driving in on a holiday weekend. Timed entry slots at the indoor attractions do sell out mid-break, so book two or three days ahead. And put one completely unscheduled day in the middle, because nine days of activities will finish the parents long before it finishes the children.
