KPMG Wellness Garden Playgarden at East Coast Park

Most playgrounds on East Coast Park are built for children alone, while the KPMG Wellness Garden in Area D was planned for three generations at once. Its nature playgarden sits beside a therapeutic garden for older adults and an outdoor fitness area, so a grandparent can rest on the pond deck while a four-year-old digs in the sand a few metres away.

The playgarden is free, open around the clock and small enough to keep an eye on every child. It suits families who find the bigger East Coast Park playgrounds too hot, too crowded or too tall.

What the KPMG Wellness Garden Is

A Four-Zone Garden Beside Car Park D5

The garden has four parts. NParks lists the nature playgarden at about 1,300 square metres, the therapeutic garden at 1,100 square metres and the nature fitness area at 900 square metres, with a pond trail looping between them. It sits next to Car Park D5, close to the stretch of the park known for its cyclist rest area.

How It Came About

KPMG in Singapore and NParks announced the partnership in November 2021 and co-designed the space. Minister Indranee Rajah officially opened it on 15 September 2023. KPMG has also committed to funding horticulture programmes at the garden for five years from 2024, and the project counts towards the NParks target of 30 therapeutic gardens across Singapore by 2030.

How It Differs From Other East Coast Park Playgrounds

The play equipment here is built from logs, driftwood, sand and rope rather than moulded plastic towers. Nothing is taller than a low lookout platform, and ramps reach most of the raised pieces. The garden trades thrills for calm, which is the reverse of what the big play tower further west offers.

Who It Suits

The garden suits toddlers and preschoolers, children with mobility needs and families visiting with grandparents. Older children who want speed and height will likely finish here in half an hour and ask to move on.

Zones and Equipment at the Nature Playgarden

Little Day Out counts eight named zones inside the playgarden. Each one takes a piece of coastal life as its theme.

Coastal Beats

This is the music corner. Tongue drums and hand pipes are tuned so that any combination sounds pleasant, and toddlers who are not yet climbing can spend a long time here.

Driftwood

Weathered logs are arranged into a low climbing structure. The wood gives children uneven footholds, which is harder work than a plastic ladder and good practice for balance.

Kelong

The Kelong zone borrows the look of the wooden fishing platforms that once stood off Singapore’s coast. Children climb onto a platform raised on stilts, and a ramp lets a child in a wheelchair reach the same lookout.

Stranded Cargo

Stacked crate frames form the structure here, and a trampoline sits among them. NParks and KPMG describe the trampoline as wheelchair friendly, which is uncommon in Singapore playgrounds.

Sand Dunes

The sand area includes a sandpit and a raised sand table. The table is set at a height a child in a wheelchair can roll up to, so children who cannot sit in a pit still get to dig.

Jungle Boardwalk and Stream

An elevated boardwalk crosses towards the pond and gives children a view of the water plants, dragonflies and birds. The stream bed beside it runs with water only when it rains, so it works as a dry channel for most of the week and a small creek after a shower.

Rest Node

The Rest Node is a quiet seating area. It gives a child who is overwhelmed, or a parent who needs a pause, somewhere to sit inside the playgarden without leaving it.

Nature Fitness Area for Adults

The fitness area next door has a Cardio Hill with slopes of different gradients, timber logs set as stepping stones and balance beams, and stepping pods at several difficulty levels. BYKidO also notes a foot reflexology path. Parents can exercise here while children play within sight.

Therapeutic Garden and Pond Trail

The therapeutic garden has an elevated deck with a 360-degree view over the pond. Raised planters of herbs and edible plants sit at a height for close viewing, pillars carry QR codes with plant information, and a set of physiotherapy steps helps older visitors practise stairs. The pond trail loops through planting chosen to draw wildlife.

Opening Hours, Entry and Facilities at the Wellness Garden

Is It Free?

Entry is free and no booking is needed. The garden is part of East Coast Park and open 24 hours. The only charge a visiting family meets is for parking.

Item	Details
Entry	Free, no booking
Hours	Open 24 hours
Water play	None; the stream bed fills only after rain
Night lighting	Park lighting; the playgarden is best visited in daylight
Toilets	East Coast Park toilet blocks along the park; exact nearest block not published
Shade	Two Rosy Trumpet trees and a green roof shelter in the therapeutic garden
Seating	Benches and rest stops throughout
F&B	None inside the garden; East Coast Lagoon Food Village is further east

Toilets, Shade and Drinking Water

NParks does not list a toilet block inside the garden itself, and the park’s toilets are spread along its length. Shade comes from two Rosy Trumpet trees in the playgarden and a shelter with a planted roof in the therapeutic garden, which is more cover than most East Coast Park playgrounds offer, though it still leaves much of the sand exposed.

Age Suitability

Toddlers (1 to 3)

This is one of the better free spots in the east for this age. The music station, the sand table and the low logs are all within reach, and nothing is tall enough to cause a serious fall. Little Day Out lists the playgarden for ages 2 to 12, and younger toddlers manage well with a parent close by.

Ages 4 to 6

Children in this band get the most out of the garden. They climb the Driftwood logs, bounce on the Stranded Cargo trampoline and follow the boardwalk to look for dragonflies. A visit of an hour or more is realistic.

Ages 7 to 12

Older children will enjoy the trampoline and the boardwalk, but the equipment offers little challenge for a ten-year-old. Pair the garden with a cycle along the park or a stop at a bigger playground.

Accessibility and Inclusive Features

Inclusion is built into the design. Barrier-free paths and ramps connect the lookout platforms, the sand table and the trampoline are usable from a wheelchair, and seating is placed at short intervals for anyone who tires easily. The therapeutic garden’s physiotherapy steps and raised planters extend that to older visitors.

Location and Getting There

Address: KPMG Wellness Garden, beside Car Park D5, 1110 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 449880 (East Coast Park Area D)

Opening hours: Open 24 hours

Nearest MRT and Bus

Bayshore station on the Thomson-East Coast Line is the closest MRT. Journey planners put it about 740 metres from Car Park D5, roughly a ten-minute walk. On weekends and public holidays, bus 401 runs along East Coast Park Service Road and stops before Car Park D5. On other days, most bus routes stop on the roads north of the park, so check a journey planner for the best underpass.

Parking

Car Park D5 sits right beside the garden. Like the other East Coast Park car parks, it uses electronic parking with charges by the half hour. It is busier on weekend mornings because of the cyclists who start their rides from this stretch.

Best Time to Visit

Morning before 10am is the most pleasant window, when the sand is cool and the dragonflies are active over the pond. Late afternoon also works. Weekday mornings bring preschool groups and seniors’ programmes, which is part of the garden’s purpose, and weekends bring families. The garden has no formal lightning closure, but families should head for cover once thunder starts, since the site is open coastal ground.

What Parents Say About the Wellness Garden

What Reviewers Praise

Parenting blogs such as Little Day Out and BYKidO describe the KPMG Wellness Garden as a calm space. It is quieter than the big playgrounds, and the low, soft structures suit toddlers. The inclusive design, especially the wheelchair-friendly trampoline and sand table, draws comments from families of children with disabilities.

Grandparents feature in many of the positive accounts. Families like being able to bring an elderly relative who can sit by the pond or use the fitness pieces while the children play.

Common Complaints

The most common criticism is that the garden is small and quickly done for older children. Some parents also point out the lack of food inside the garden and the walk to the nearest toilets. No review ratings were published for the garden when we checked, so none are quoted here.

Verdict

The KPMG Wellness Garden is a strong choice for families with toddlers, children with additional needs or grandparents in tow. Families with older children should treat it as one stop on a longer day at the park.

Category	Rating	Reason
Toddler suitability	5/5	Low, soft structures and a sand table
Older-kid challenge	2/5	Little height or speed
Shade and heat	3/5	Trees and a shelter cover part of the site
Ease of access	4/5	Car park next door and barrier-free paths

Picnics, Parties and Group Visits

Picnic Spots

The lawns and beach close to Car Park D5 have room for mats. The garden’s own benches suit a quick snack but not a full picnic, since the space is shared with other visitors and seniors’ programmes.

BBQ Pits

East Coast Park’s barbecue pits are spread through Areas C to G and are booked through AXS. NParks does not publish which pits are closest to the garden, so check the pit map on AXS before booking.

Group and School Visits

Preschool groups use the garden for nature walks, and the Rest Node and boardwalk suit a class that needs structure. Any organised event with tentage or sound needs an NParks permit. KPMG-funded horticulture programmes also run at the garden, so check the NParks events listings for sessions.

What to Bring and Park Rules

• Sunscreen and hats for the exposed sand
• Water bottles, as no drinking point is listed inside the garden
• Sand toys and a small brush for cleaning feet
• Wet wipes and a change of clothes for sandy toddlers
• Insect repellent for the pond area
• A stroller or wagon, since paths are barrier free
• An umbrella for sudden showers

Standard NParks rules apply here. Children should not climb into the pond, and plants in the therapeutic garden are there for looking at and touching gently rather than picking. Bicycles stay on the park connector, smoking is not allowed, and dogs must stay on a leash and out of the play equipment.

The Wellness Garden and Other Playgrounds Nearby

Nearby Outdoor Playgrounds

Marine Cove in Area C has a lighthouse tower and a gated toddler area, plus restaurants next door. Coastal PlayGrove in Area B adds water play and a 16-metre tower for teenagers. A family could cycle between all three in a morning. For more ideas, see our guide to outdoor playgrounds in Singapore.

Rainy-Day Indoor Alternatives Nearby

Our list of free indoor playgrounds in the east covers the covered malls nearby. For a paid option, Action Motion at HomeTeamNS Bedok is a short drive inland.

KPMG Wellness Garden FAQ

Is the KPMG Wellness Garden free?

Yes, it is free to enter, open 24 hours and needs no booking. The garden is part of East Coast Park and managed with NParks. The only cost for a visiting family is electronic parking at Car Park D5, which sits right next to it.

Where exactly is the garden in East Coast Park?

It is in Area D, next to Car Park D5 at 1110 East Coast Parkway. That places it east of Marine Cove and west of East Coast Lagoon Food Village, close to the part of the park where many cyclists start their rides.

What ages is the nature playgarden for?

Parenting guides list it for children aged two to twelve. It works best for toddlers and preschoolers, because the structures are low and soft. Children above eight usually enjoy the trampoline and boardwalk but find the rest too easy.

Is the playgarden wheelchair accessible?

Yes. Paths are barrier free, ramps lead to the lookout platforms, and both the raised sand table and the trampoline were designed to be used from a wheelchair. Seating and rest stops are spread through the garden for anyone who needs a break.

Does the garden have water play?

No, there is no water play area. The stream bed in the playgarden fills only when it rains. The nearest free water play is at Coastal PlayGrove in Area B, which is a longer cycle west along the park connector.

Which MRT station is nearest?

Bayshore on the Thomson-East Coast Line is the nearest station, about 740 metres from Car Park D5 according to journey planners. On weekends and public holidays, bus 401 also stops on East Coast Park Service Road just before the car park.

When did the garden open?

The garden was officially opened on 15 September 2023 by Minister Indranee Rajah. KPMG and NParks first announced the partnership in November 2021, and KPMG is funding horticulture programmes at the site for five years from 2024.

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Opening hours, facilities and water play schedules were checked in September 2026 and can change. Check the park’s official page before you travel, especially for water play maintenance days.