Fruit and Transport Playgrounds in MacPherson and Ubi

Two of the newest themed HDB estates in the east sit one Downtown Line stop apart. MacPherson Weave, beside MacPherson MRT, has a watermelon structure, a jackfruit playground under leaf canopies and a maze made of miniature HDB blocks. Ubi Grove, beside Ubi MRT, turns its whole precinct into a road network. A cargo truck and a monster car stand beside a driving circuit.

This guide covers the two estates as one outing. Each MacPherson Weave playground and each Ubi Grove play area is free, open around the clock and reachable from an MRT exit in a few minutes, which makes this cluster one of the easiest in Singapore to reach without a car.

What the MacPherson Weave Playground and Ubi Grove Cluster Is

The cluster is a pair of new BTO precincts with themed play areas, plus two smaller playgrounds a short walk from MacPherson Weave. Both main estates were built for HDB, and both treat the playground as part of the estate’s identity.

MacPherson Weave and Its Fruit Theme

MacPherson Weave has seven blocks between Circuit Road, Circuit Link and Paya Lebar Road. HDB’s launch material described facades banded in colours drawn from tropical fruit grown in Singapore, together with motifs referencing the area’s history. The play areas follow the same idea, so the playgrounds carry fruit shapes and heritage references.

Ubi Grove and Its Transport Theme

Ubi Grove sits on Ubi Road 3, bounded by Ubi Avenue 1 and Ubi Avenue 2. The playground supplier Playpoint lists the project as completed in September 2023 for HDB, with Surbana Jurong Consultants as designer and equipment from Monstrum, Kinetics and Kompan. Monstrum is a Danish maker of large sculptural play structures, and its involvement accounts for the scale of the truck and the monster car.

How the Two Estates Differ

MacPherson Weave is aimed more at heritage and at younger children. Its maze and dragon heads reference Singapore’s old concrete playgrounds, and its biggest structures are gentle. Ubi Grove leans towards role play and older children, with tall vehicles to climb and a circuit to race around. Visiting both in one morning gives a family two different kinds of play.

Who It Suits

The cluster suits families who travel by MRT and want two playgrounds in one trip. It suits children aged two to ten best. Parents looking for water play or a large park should look elsewhere, because neither estate has either.

Zones and Equipment at Each Playground

MacPherson Weave Mini HDB Maze (Blks 97A and 99A)

The maze has low walls built to look like rows of tiny HDB blocks, with mosaic patterning on the partitions. Twin dragon heads mark the entrance and reference the Toa Payoh dragon design. Cut-outs of local icons such as a kopi cup and mynah birds decorate the walls, and a telescope sits on the central play panels. BYKidO noted that the low partitions let parents see their children the whole time.

Buay Long Long Playground (Blks 97A and 97B)

Little Day Out describes this as a playground for ages two to five. Three fruit-shaped pods are linked by stems, two of them carry raised platforms, and a netted tunnel runs between them. A hammock and climbing discs sit at ground level beside maze panels.

Watermelon Playground (Blks 99B and 95C)

This red structure with a green rind has two sections joined by an elevated netted tunnel. Cargo nets lead up, and a slide with a see-through top leads down. A watermelon merry-go-round and a pair of swings stand beside it. A bike game and a four-person dome game sit nearby.

Jackfruit Playground Under Canopies (Blks 95 and 100)

Leaf-shaped canopies cover the jackfruit playground, which makes it the most sheltered play area in the cluster. Two open domes are connected by cargo net, and green platforms lead to several different slides. A nest swing and adult exercise equipment sit alongside.

MacPherson Blossom Cocoon Skywalk (Blk 75A Circuit Road)

MacPherson Blossom has two play areas. The one near Blocks 75, 75A and 75B raises cocoon-shaped pods on stilts, reached by cargo net, ladder or rope, and links them with netted tunnels to a grey slide. Two ground-level trampolines and spinners stand below. The play area in front of Blk 76A is for younger children, with yellow slides and hanging pods. Low hammock swings complete it.

Pipit Road Watermelon Playground (Blks 92 and 92A)

Pipit Road had an old-style cement and tile watermelon playground, built in 2011. A new watermelon playground replaced it in 2025, according to Little Day Out. It has a watermelon slice with steps and a crawl tunnel, an open slide and a tube slide, swings, a bitten-watermelon rocker and a pair of Speed Racer bikes on padded flooring.

Ubi Grove Cargo Truck and Toolbox (Blk 358D)

A red cargo truck with a driver’s cab and a cargo bed of crates and ropes anchors the playground for older children. A green fuel pump doubles as a slide, and a giant red toolbox has a bell inside. Oversized tools and ground trampolines fill the rest of the space.

Ubi Grove Driving Circuits (Blks 357D and 358)

The playground at Blk 357D is for toddlers, with a small driving track, climbable cars and trucks, a merry-go-round and numbered mounds for hopping. The one at Blk 358 has a figure-eight circuit with zebra crossings, traffic lights and cones, plus a climbable VW van, a jeep, a gas station and an orange net structure. Time Out notes that children can bring their own toy vehicles for the circuit.

Ubi Grove Monster Car (Blk 356C)

A bright blue monster car, built as a cross between a sports car and a pickup, has a steering wheel and an engine block at the front and a cargo bed behind. TheSmartLocal describes a slide, a rope bridge and a bouldering route on it. A small dinosaur sits in the rear-view mirror for children who look closely.

Opening Hours, Entry and Facilities

Item	Details
Entry	Free, no booking
Hours	Open 24 hours
Water play	None
Night lighting	Estate lighting; BYKidO reports lighting at MacPherson Weave from 7pm to 7am
Toilets	None at the playgrounds; nearest at MacPherson MRT station
Shade	Canopies at the jackfruit playground; little shade at Ubi Grove
Drinking water	None published
Food nearby	Coffee shops around Circuit Road; eateries across the road from Ubi Grove

Is It Free?

Every playground here is free. They are HDB common areas, and anyone can use them at any time without booking or registering.

Toilets, Shade and Drinking Water

Toilets are the main gap. BYKidO points families at the toilets inside MacPherson MRT station, and Ubi MRT station is the equivalent option at Ubi Grove. Shade is better at MacPherson Weave because of the jackfruit canopies. TheSmartLocal describes Ubi Grove as open with little shade. Bring water, since no drinking fountain is published at either estate.

Age Suitability

Toddlers (1 to 3)

Toddlers do well at the Buay Long Long pods, the MacPherson Weave maze and the Ubi Grove toddler circuit at Blk 357D. The Pipit Road watermelon has padded flooring and low steps that also suit this age.

Ages 4 to 6

This is the sweet spot for both estates. Children this age can manage the watermelon tunnel alone, and they tend to spend the longest time on the Ubi Grove circuits and vehicles. BYKidO observed children aged three to five enjoying the maze, though they tired of it after several rounds of hide-and-seek.

Ages 7 to 12

Older children should head for the Ubi Grove cargo truck and monster car, and the MacPherson Blossom cocoon skywalk. The MacPherson Weave fruit playgrounds will feel small to a ten-year-old.

Accessibility and Inclusive Features

The estates have barrier-free paths, and the MacPherson Weave maze and the Ubi Grove driving circuits are at ground level, so a child using a mobility aid can reach them. The raised structures need climbing. None of these playgrounds is published as an inclusive playground.

Supervision

The maze has low walls and is easy to supervise. The Ubi Grove play areas are spread across four blocks, and a family with children of different ages will need two adults to cover the truck and the toddler circuit at once.

Location and Getting There

Address: MacPherson Weave, Circuit Road beside MacPherson MRT Station; Ubi Grove, 355 to 358 Ubi Road 3, Singapore 402358

Opening hours: Open 24 hours daily

Playground	Location
Mini HDB maze	Blks 97A and 99A, MacPherson Weave
Buay Long Long	Blks 97A and 97B, MacPherson Weave
Watermelon	Blks 99B and 95C, MacPherson Weave
Jackfruit under canopies	Blks 95 and 100, MacPherson Weave
Cocoon skywalk	Blk 75A Circuit Road, Singapore 371075
Pipit Road watermelon	Blks 92 and 92A Pipit Road
Ubi Grove play areas	Blks 356C, 357D, 358 and 358D, Ubi Road 3, Singapore 402358

Nearest MRT and Bus

MacPherson MRT on the Circle and Downtown lines is next to MacPherson Weave, and TheSmartLocal puts the walk at five minutes. Ubi MRT (DT27) is one stop east on the Downtown Line, and BYKidO says Exit A sits right beside the Ubi Grove playgrounds.

TheSmartLocal lists bus stop 70261, opposite Orion @ Paya Lebar, for MacPherson Weave, served by 8, 22, 76 and 158. The New Age Parents lists 8, 22, 61, 65 and 137 for Ubi Grove. Buses 8 and 22 serve both estates.

Parking

MacPherson Weave has its own multi-storey car park, and BYKidO mentions the Blk 96 car park as a short walk from the maze. TheSmartLocal quotes S$0.60 per half hour for cars there, which is the standard HDB rate. For Ubi Grove, TheSmartLocal suggests the Blk 302 HDB car park or parking along Ubi Avenue 2, about seven minutes on foot.

Best Time to Visit

Go before 10am or after 5pm, especially at Ubi Grove, where the metal and plastic surfaces sit in full sun. The MacPherson Weave jackfruit playground is the fallback on a hot afternoon. Both estates are residential, so evenings after dinner are busier with resident families.

What Parents Say About the MacPherson Weave Playground and Ubi Grove

What Reviewers Praise

The theming draws the most comment. BYKidO and Little Day Out both highlight the miniature HDB maze and its heritage details, and TheSmartLocal calls the fruit playgrounds a reason to visit MacPherson. At Ubi Grove, Time Out describes the play areas as dynamic, and every parent blog reviewed picks out the cargo truck and the circuit for pretend play.

Common Complaints

Shade is the recurring complaint at Ubi Grove. BYKidO also warned of dust from nearby construction at MacPherson and suggested wet wipes. The lack of toilets at both estates comes up in several write-ups.

Verdict

Category	Judgement
Variety of play	Strong: fruit, heritage and transport themes in one trip
Ease of access	Strong: both estates sit beside MRT exits
Shade and heat	Mixed: good under the jackfruit canopies, weak at Ubi Grove
Older-kid challenge	Moderate: Ubi Grove and MacPherson Blossom carry it

Nearby Food and Rest Stops

Neither estate has BBQ pits or a picnic lawn, so this cluster suits a short play visit followed by a meal. The coffee shops and food stalls around Circuit Road are a few minutes’ walk from MacPherson Weave. BYKidO notes eateries across the street from Ubi Grove.

Group visits should be kept small. These are residential playgrounds, and TheSmartLocal asks visitors to keep noise down and take their litter home. A preschool class is easier to manage at the Ubi Grove circuits, which are spread out and have clear edges, than in the enclosed maze.

What to Bring and Playground Rules

• Sunscreen and caps, especially for Ubi Grove
• Water bottles for everyone
• Insect repellent
• Wet wipes, which BYKidO recommends because of construction dust
• Closed shoes for nets and climbing routes
• A small toy car or scooter for the Ubi Grove circuit, used with care around younger children
• A rain plan, which here can be the covered jackfruit playground or a short MRT ride to a mall

Smoking is not allowed in HDB playgrounds. Keep bicycles off the play structures, and keep noise down late at night because the playgrounds sit below flats.

MacPherson Weave Playground and Other Playgrounds Nearby

Comparing Nearby Outdoor Playgrounds

The MacPherson Weave dragon heads are a tribute to the original Toa Payoh Dragon Playground, which is worth seeing afterwards for a family interested in the heritage design. The Woodleigh playgrounds and the Bidadari Park playground are a short trip up the North East Line and offer park space that MacPherson and Ubi lack.

For more options across the island, see our list of outdoor playgrounds in Singapore.

Rainy-Day Indoor Alternatives Nearby

Kiztopia at Woodleigh Mall is the closest large paid indoor playground. For free indoor play in malls nearby, see our guide to free indoor playgrounds in the east.

MacPherson Weave Playground FAQ

Is the MacPherson Weave playground free?

Yes, the MacPherson Weave playground and every other play area in this guide are free. They are HDB common areas open to the public at all hours, so families do not need to book, register or pay for entry.

How far apart are MacPherson Weave and Ubi Grove?

They are one stop apart on the Downtown Line. MacPherson Weave sits beside MacPherson MRT and Ubi Grove sits beside Ubi MRT, so a family can play at one and reach the other in a few minutes by train.

Is there a watermelon playground in MacPherson?

Yes, there are two watermelon playgrounds nearby. MacPherson Weave has a large watermelon structure at Blocks 99B and 95C, and Pipit Road has a separate watermelon playground at Blocks 92 and 92A that reopened in a new form in 2025.

Which playground has shade?

The jackfruit playground at MacPherson Weave, beside Blocks 95 and 100, has leaf-shaped canopies over the play area. It is the best choice on a hot afternoon, because the Ubi Grove play areas are largely open to the sun.

Can I bring my child’s toy car to Ubi Grove?

Yes, Time Out notes that children can bring their own toy vehicles to use on the driving circuit. Parents should keep ride-on toys to the circuit and watch for toddlers crossing the track on foot.

Are there toilets at these playgrounds?

No, none of the playgrounds has its own toilet. The nearest public toilets are inside MacPherson MRT station and Ubi MRT station, each a short walk from the play areas, so plan a stop before starting.

What ages suit Ubi Grove best?

Ubi Grove suits children from about two to ten. The toddler circuit at Blk 357D serves the youngest, while the cargo truck at Blk 358D and the monster car at Blk 356C carry the climbing for older children.

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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.