The Start Small Dream Big (SSDB) Walkathon 2026 — tagged Little Feet, Big Hearts — arrives this Saturday, 9 May 2026, at The Meadows, Gardens by the Bay. Around 5,000 preschoolers, families and educators are expected to fill the lawn from 8:30am to 1:00pm for a community-led celebration of values in action, hands-on play and high-energy stage performances. Organised by Preschool Market, the walkathon is supported by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and SG Cares.
What’s Happening On 9 May 2026
The walkathon runs from 8:30am to 1:00pm at The Meadows, Gardens by the Bay (31 Marina Park, Singapore 019191). Media registration opens at 8:15am, with a SportSG-led fitness segment at 8:35am to warm everyone up. Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming attends as Guest-of-Honour and flags off the walkathon at around 9:10am, with the route a roughly 1km loop around The Meadow — gentle enough for the youngest walkers and their grandparents.
After the walk, families can stay on for a carnival packed with community partner booths, snacks, performances and fringe activities including a Mother’s Day DIY flower bouquet station and face painting.
The Three Pillars: Values In Action, City Walk, Happy Carnival
The official programme is built around three event pillars:
- Values in Action — every participating preschool showcases how its children have turned ideas into meaningful acts of goodness, from giving and sharing to caring for the environment around them.
- City Walk — Building the Future Together — preschoolers walk side by side with families and educators, reinforcing the SSDB motto that “everyone can do something” even at five or six years old.
- The Happy Carnival — the post-walk festival space at The Meadows, with stage performances, interactive booths and food stops designed for under-eight attention spans.
ECDA’s Next Steps For Parent-Educator Partnerships
The walkathon is also where ECDA will deliver a substantive policy update. Building on insights from its inaugural Preschool Experience Survey, the agency is set to share next steps to deepen parent-educator partnerships in supporting children’s holistic development. MOS Goh Pei Ming will give a media soundbite at 9:45am on how ECDA plans to deepen these partnerships, with interview opportunities lined up with preschool staff and parent profiles.
That framing matters for Singapore families. The early childhood sector has been moving steadily towards a model where parents and preschool teachers work as co-builders of a child’s values and learning journey, rather than as service providers and clients. SSDB’s 2026 emphasis on Deepen Parent-Preschool Partnership sits squarely in that direction of travel.
Meet The Mascots: Kevin And Kay
Two friendly mascots, Kevin and Kay, anchor the day’s family-friendly look-and-feel and will be roaming the carnival for photo opportunities. They’re a useful tip if you’re bringing along younger siblings — an easy hook for kids who don’t quite get the “values-in-action” framing yet but absolutely understand a high-five with a costumed character.
Getting To The Meadow
The easiest route is via Bayfront MRT (Circle Line CE1 or Downtown Line DT16), exiting at Exit B and following the underground linkway. From there, cross the Dragonfly Bridge or Meadow Bridge into Gardens by the Bay. Driving? Use The Meadow Gate Car Park at Gardens by the Bay; the drop-off address is 31 Marina Park, Singapore 019191.
Families looking to make a day of it can pair the walkathon with our other recent picks for kid-friendly weekends: PA Family PLAYGround 2026 and the upcoming Children’s Season 2026.
At A Glance
- Date: Saturday, 9 May 2026
- Time: 8:30am to 1:00pm (registration from 8:15am)
- Venue: The Meadows, Gardens by the Bay, 31 Marina Park, Singapore 019191
- Theme: Little Feet, Big Hearts
- Organiser: Preschool Market | Supported by: ECDA, SG Cares
- Guest-of-Honour: Minister of State Goh Pei Ming
- Walk route: ~1km loop around The Meadow
- Carnival pillars: Values in Action, City Walk, Happy Carnival
- Registration: ssdbwalkathon.sg/registration-form
For Singapore parents, the SSDB Walkathon 2026 lines up exercise, community values and a substantive policy reveal in a single morning — and with Mother’s Day weekend approaching, it’s a fitting way to mark the day on foot, with the kids, in one of Singapore’s most photogenic public spaces.
