Weekdays are for work, and weekends for hanging loose.
But, if you want to skip the usual weekend ritual of shopping, eating or lazing about the house yet wish to kick back at some place other than home, here are our recommendations!
Go prawning and cook your catch at ORTO.
Or get creative at Hueplay Studio’s arts and crafts sessions.
Either way, you can unwind and do them with family and friends!
Prawning at ORTO
Imagine fishing but instead of hooking aquatic, gill- and fin-bearing vertebrate animals, you catch small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and 10 legs; that’s prawning.
A popular activity amongst families, casual anglers and couples on dates in SG, you can enjoy yanking up decapods such as big head prawns and yabbies (or crayfish) at the largest prawning facility in Singapore, at ORTO.
Formerly known as Bottle Tree Park, the 555,000 square-foot multi-recreational park opposite Yishun Stadium is open 24 hours, as is the prawning facility itself, that has 10 large ponds for you to net your catch-of-the-day from.
Plus, you can even get to cook the prawns you fish out on electric grills provided by the facility at no extra cost for a rewarding fresh seafood meal after your prawning effort!
Here’s what to do if you’re new to this (or need a refresher).
First, choose the amount of time you want to spend prawning (from $20 for 1 hour, up to $108 for 10 hours).
Then, collect your fishing rod, and check that it works and comes with a float before heading out to pick up your net and bait – choose from chicken heart meat, live worms or marinated bait (do note that there might be extra costs, depending on the bait).
Find your favourite spot at one of the ponds, hang the net on the rod holder and then figure out the length of your fishing line between the hook and the float to ensure that your bait touches the bottom of the pond.
Adjust the float if needed, stick your bait onto the hook, and off you go!
It’s a “wait and strike” game: wait for the bait to reach the bottom of the pond, watch to see if your float sinks below the water surface, steady your hold for about 5 seconds, and then strike by flicking up your rod to see if you have a live one.
Even if there aren’t many wins or bites, you and your loved ones get to build patience while catching the breeze, and enjoy the chilled thrills of relaxed prawning.
Pssst: There’s also a Longkang Fishing activity happening until the 12th of September (just in time for the school holidays) so there’s more fishing fun for the kiddos at ORTO! Check the official ORTO site for the full details.
Prawning @ ORTO, 81 Lorong Chencharu, #01-09, 769198, http://orto.sg; facebook.com/prawningatorto; instagram.com/prawningatorto
BONUS: SAFRA members get to purchase a 3-hour Prawning Package at $33 (U.P. $36) at Prawning @ ORTO. Click here for more information.
Arts & Craft Workshops at Hueplay Studio
Prefer to try a “hands-on” activity but that isn’t quite as sporty or outdoorsy as prawning?
Then work out your artistic muscles at the arts & craft workshops at Hueplay Studio. The peeps behind this are all about ’em positive vibes, providing “a cosy space for folks to escape the hustle & bustle of daily life” and to express themselves artistically, share memories and have a good time.
So, what you and your loved ones get to do here: Art Jamming, After Dark Art Jamming and Punch Needle Workshops.
For Art Jamming ($38 per seat for 2.5 hours), it’s almost an “anything goes”, “express yourself” session. Best experienced with your other half, your squad or your fam, the free-form painting sessions can either be guided or free-roam, with full sets of brushes, a 40cm by 50 cm canvas or A3 tote bag, acrylic paints and aprons provided.
Wish to add more colours that pop to your painting? Then the After Dark Art Jamming sessions ($58 per seat for 3 hours; from 7 to 10 p.m.) might just be, well, your jam.
They’re similar to the usual art jamming ones, except that you will be using acrylic and phosphorescent paints in a neon-hued space, creating art works that literally glow in the dark with the same full set of materials provided. It’s the perfect after-dinner activity for date night, if you ask us.
But if you’re afraid of messing up your clothes with paint, then opt for the Punch Needle Workshops ($50 per seat for 3 hours; minimum of 2 per workshop).
Learn the hipster-ish way to do traditional punch needle embroidery and craftwork by first picking up the punch needle fundamentals, then creating textured decorative items and coasters that you can bring home or to gift a special someone (we spotted cutesy animals like llamas and pigs, and dainty floral pieces).
There’s no need to buy an entire whole punch kit; the workshop will provide you with more than 20 colours of yarn, a 9.5cm by 9.5cm cut of monk’s cloth, hoop and punch needle.
And, if you do get hooked and want to make more adorable presents, Hueplay Studio does sell a punch needle kit ($39.90 for workshop attendees) so you can continue your creative pursuit at your own pleasure.
Enquire at Hueplay Studio for full details including bookings, dates and timings. Hueplay Studio, 183 Jalan Pelikat, The Promenade @ Pelikat, #B1-82/83, 537643, hueplaystudio.com; facebook.com/hueplaystudio; instagram.com/hueplaystudio
BONUS: SAFRA members get to enjoy 15% off Art Jamming sessions, Punch Needle Workshops and Glow-In-The-Dark (After Dark Art Jamming) sessions at Hueplay Studio. Click here for more information.
