18 Things To Do In December 2020 For Dates With Bae & Outings With Your Friend Squad

By Rachel Yohannan on 01 Dec 2020

Senior Digital Editor

Crazy cat lady who loves afternoon tea, kawaii Japanese fashion, and all things Sanrio.

At long last, we have finally reached the end of 2020. Phew. As we look forward to Christmas, New Year, and what’s hopefully a better 2021, many of you are probably clearing your unused annual leave - and need some activities to fill your time with.

Make the most of this holiday period with our list of things to do in December 2020 in Singapore, including a shootouts at a new airsoft arena, a mystery escape room game, and a tea and coffee festival for all the caffeine addicts out there.

Read on to find out about these things to do in December 2020 in Singapore!

#1: Sail the seas with unlimited entertainment and food on a cruise to nowhere

Photo from Klook

A cruise to nowhere may sound strange at first, but when the journey is filled with seemingly unlimited entertainment options and free-flow food, it’s very much a destination in itself! Hop aboard a 3D2N adventure with Dream Cruises from just $259, and have a ball of a time whooshing down water slides, playing VR games, and chilling at the open-deck Zouk Beach Club - amidst plenty of other activities suitable for all types of holidayers.

Photo from Klook

Your Balcony Deluxe Stateroom will give you a great view of the high seas, a calming sight that is especially romantic during sunset.

Photo from Klook

Bookings are already open for dates ranging all the way to March 2021. Save some bucks by making your booking on Klook here.

#2: Take photos at neon installations including a rainbow tunnel at Lite On!

Photo from Downtown East

While everyone is flocking to view the Christmas lights in town, you can veer off from those crowds and visit Lite On! for a dose of neon light installations which are just as charming. Held at Downtown East, this exhibition features 4 light displays, including a rainbow tunnel and rainbow staircase with bubble wrap you can pop.

Photo from @speakcryptic via Instagram

Admission is free! Read our full article on Lite On! here.

#3: Go trigger-happy at TactSim, Singapore’s first airsoft shooting arena

Photo from HomeTeamNS

We recently covered Winter Shooting Arena - a sub-zero shooting zone at Snow City - in our previous article on new attractions in 2020. And the friendly gun fun doesn’t stop there, for TactSim, Singapore’s first airsoft shooting arena, has just opened at HomeTeamNS Khatib.

Photo from HomeTeamNS

For the uninitiated, airsoft is a game that involves tiny plastic pellets propelled from an airgun - kind of like paintball, just minus the messiness and bruises caused by the impact.

Photo from HomeTeamNS

Apart from PvP matches with your friends, you can also train your accuracy with target shooting.

Address: 2 Yishun Walk, HomeTeamNS Khatib, Singapore 767944
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday: 3pm - 10pm | Saturday & Sunday: 9am - 10pm (Closed on Mondays)
Website

#4: Get a new hairdo at a pink hair salon at Chinatown

Photo from @callmejessi_ca via Instagram

If you’ve already worked your way through our list of pink cafes and restaurants, eaten at the pink container cafe near ECP, and even decorated your HDB in pink, here’s another one to add to your list. Heartlight Hair Studio is a recently refurbished hair salon at Hong Lim, Chinatown, and it’s now decked out in a pretty coat of pastel pink and neon lights - perfect for that post-haircut selfie!

Photo from @jessie_blooming via 小红书

Read our full article on Heartlight Hair Studio here.

#5: Get your caffeine fix and learn about your favourite drinks at Singapore Tea & Coffee Festival

Photo from @teapasar via Instagram

Some of us run on coffee, others run on tea. If caffeine in any form is something you can’t live without, you have to get in on the Singapore Tea & Coffee Festival. This year, the event will be partially virtual, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be any less exciting. With various in-person workshops and free live streams, you’ll get to learn more about your favourite brews and even pick up some techniques yourself.

Photo from Teapasar

Some examples include a kombucha brewing class, a colour-changing mixology workshop, and a craft chocolate appreciation session.

Photo from @teapasar via Instagram

On top of purchasing artisanal tea, coffee, and desserts from the event’s online store, you’ll also be able to snap up related lifestyle products like tea-scented candles, tea-infused beauty and wellness items, and gorgeous teacup sets.

Date: Until 6 December 2020
Location: Mostly online
Price: FREE (Fees for workshops and purchases apply)
Website

#6: Solve a murder mystery at the Orient Express pop-up escape room

Photo from Sistic

Fans of murder mysteries should be familiar with Murder on the Orient Express, a novel by Agatha Christie which later got turned into a movie. You can now play detective and immerse yourself in this story IRL, with the “Muder on the Orient Express” pop-up exhibition that will include an escape room.

Photo from Sistic

This pop-up will feature precious artefacts including original Louis Vuitton luggage, porcelain tableware, and a pullman car, all shipped from France. To top that off, there will also be a themed cafe and restaurant where you can have a bite as you bask in the old-timey ambience.

Photo from Sistic

Read our full article on the Murder on the Orient Express pop-up here.

#7: Countdown to 2021 with fireworks displays in your neighbourhood

Photo from @missyukitan via Instagarm

As expected, there will be no grand year-end countdown party at Marina Bay this year because of the pandemic. But the good news is, you’ll still be able to ring in 2021 with a burst of fireworks from the comfort of your own neighbourhood, as they will be set off from various heartland locations all over Singapore.

Last year, there were small-scale countdown events in estates like Yishun/Khatib, Tampines, and Punggol, so you can probably expect to catch the fireworks from those areas again. More details will be released in time, look out for updates here.

#8: Go crazy over premium Japanese products at the 2-storey Meidi-Ya

Photo from @alfredo_bay_ via Instagram

Many mourned when Meidi-Ya at Liang Court shuttered its doors permanently, but they’ve since opened a new outlet at Millenia Walk, and it’s bigger and better than the OG. In fact, this is a duplex outlet with 2-storeys of imported Japanese delights including fresh fruits, meat, and fish, as well as ready-to-eat snacks, sushi, and hot meals.

Photo from @gula_cockaigne via Instagram

One major highlight here is Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza, which specifically focuses on snacks from Hokkaido such as Shiroi Koibito biscuits, milky ice cream, and melon-flavoured confections. There’s also a cold section with seafood bowls and sashimi.

Photo from @snapeatlife via Instagram

If you prefer hot meals, head to the Food Hall for tempura, curry rice, ramen and the like. For added buzz, visit the outdoor beer garden and guzzle down some Kirin on tap.

Address: 9 Marina Boulevard, #02-26 - 36 Millenia Walk, Singapore 039596
Opening hours: 10am - 10pm daily
Telephone: 6339 1111

#9: Whizz down a dinosaur-themed go-karting circuit at Changi Airport

Photo from Changi Airport

The taxi bay at Changi Airport’s Terminal 4 has been transformed into a go-kart race circuit, and a dinosaur-themed one at that! Flanked by multicoloured tyres, life-sized prehistoric installations, and flashing neon lights, this race track will also have you zipping through a light tunnel. Prices start from just $8.

Read our full article on Dino-Kart here.

#10: Meet your potential life partner at an art therapy event for singles

Photo from Artse

If you enjoy getting crafty and want to meet new people, sign up for LovE for Art Therapy, a singles’ networking event by ArtSE - a welfare organisation which helps the underprivileged and those with special needs and the underprivileged through art.

Through this lighthearted workshop, you’ll get to learn fine art techniques that will help improve your mental wellbeing, all while networking with other like-minded individuals. Aside from the main session, there will also be breakout sessions in smaller groups.

Feel free to join their Telegram group chat here for ice breakers so you can get to know your fellow participants a little bit more ahead of the session ;)

Date & Time: 4 December 2020: 12pm - 1pm, 5pm - 6pm, 8pm - 9pm | 5 December 2020: 10am - 11am, 3pm - 4pm, 8pm - 9pm
Location: Online
Price: $50 (includes $120 worth of materials)
Website

#11: Snap cute pictures as you dine at HaveFun KTV’s new Yishun outlet

Photo from Vivien Teo via Facebook

While it might be a strange time for karaoke joints to open new outlets - given the fact that singing is still not allowed at public areas - HaveFun KTV has bravely charged ahead and opened a new themed outlet at SAFRA Yishun.

Photo from Vivien Teo via Facebook

Although you won’t be able to belt out your favourite tunes here just yet, you can still pop by to have a meal in your own private room - and snap a whole barrage of photos against their whimsical backdrops, of course. According to helpful netizen Vivien Teo, via a local Facebook group titled “Daiso & Lobang Lovers SG”, prices for a meal at their bistro start from just $10.

Photo from Vivien Teo via Facebook

The great news is that this pretty KTV is open to anyone, and you don’t have to be a SAFRA member in order to enter.

Address: 60 Yishun Ave 4, #01-04/05/06 SAFRA Yishun, Singapore 769027
Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 2.30pm - 9.30pm | Saturday & Sunday: 12pm - 9.30pm
Telephone: 6261 3534
Website

#12: Go glamping with a great view of the Rain Vortex and greenery at Jewel Changi

Photo from Jewel Changi Airport

Glamping outdoors is fun, but some of us are sticklers for comfort, and simply having a portable air-conditioning unit to keep cool just isn’t enough. That’s okay, because you can still have that faux camping experience at Jewel Changi with their new glamping tents - all while completely surrounded by aircon and calming greenery.

Photo from Jewel Changi Airport

You can either pick a tent at the Forest Valley, or at the Cloud9 Piazza, which gives you the best view of the Rain Vortex. If you’d rather not stay overnight, you can still enjoy a picnic in one of the boho-style tents, with the entire setting done up nicely for you.

Read our full article on glamping at Jewel here.

#13: Pet and take photos with miniature horses at ION Orchard

Photo from @equal.sg via Instagram

It’s not every day that you get to come face to face with adorable pygmy horses - let alone in a shopping mall - but that’s exactly what you can do at ION Orchard this month, all for a good cause. A total of 6 good-natured therapy horses will be on site for you to interact and take photos with, in an effort to raise funds for non-profit organisation, EQUAL.

Sessions are by booking only and tickets come with free drinks. Read our full article on The Miniature Horse Sessions here.

#14: Watch a local theatre adaptation of Mitch Albom’s “Tuesdays with Morrie”

Photo from @singaporerepertorytheatre via Instagram

Plays and concerts are finally up and running again and the Singapore Repertory Theatre is making their long-awaited comeback with their new show, a theatre adaptation of Tuesdays with Morrie.

Avid readers would be familiar with this novel by Mitch Albom, a heart-wrenching tale about a college graduate who reunites with his ALS-ridden sociology professor 16 years after leaving school. Through a wholesome friendship forged with weekly visits, he learns a great deal about life while the disease gradually takes its hold on professor Morrie.

Date: Until 11 December 2020
Time: Tue - Sat: 6pm & 9pm | Sun: 3pm & 6pm
Location: KC Arts Centre
Price: From $50 depending on seat category. Get your tickets here.
Website

#15: Enjoy an affordable staycay deal below $200/night or a Miffy-themed one with free merch

Photo from Marriott

Give yourself a year-end break by unwinding with a staycation. You don’t have to spend a bomb in order to do so either - hotels have been rolling out loads of great value-for-money deals, and we’ve sussed out 10 of them that are priced below $200/night. Many of them even come with perks like free breakfast and dining credits! Check out our list here.

Photo from Klook

Those who are crazy over all things character-themed can opt for a Miffy-themed staycation, which comes with free breakfast and an armful of exclusive Miffy merchandise. Check out our full article on the Miffy staycation here.

#16: Appreciate the best of street style and culture with Culture Cartel 2020

Photo from Culture Cartel

In light of current restrictions, Culture Cartel will be going fully digital this year instead of having their usual pop-up at the F1 Pit Building. As with previous years, this third edition will celebrate the best of street culture - including fashion, music, and art - through various activities including creative masterclasses and a virtual tattoo competition.

Photo from Culture Cartel

There will also be exclusive merchandise up for sale, including glow-in-the-dark basketballs, swaggy tees, and limited edition Adidas shoes designed by Love, Bonito. It’s a hypebae’s haven.

You can also try your luck in winning streetwear items like Yeezy shoes and apparel by joining the weekly raffle at just $2.

Date: 5 December 2020
Location: Online
Price: FREE (raffle tickets cost $2)
Website

#17: Watch 60 light beams shoot into the sky with Marina Bay's newest light show

Photo from URA

If you’re in the Marina Bay area over the next couple of weeks, you might see huge beams of light shooting up from the water into the sky - much like what you’d see in a sci-fi movie on alien invasions.

Thankfully, this is just Shine a Light, Marina Bay's newest light show created to ring in the new year as part of the Marina Bay Countdown. This 3-minute spectacle will be happening every night only till the end of the year - make sure you don’t miss it!

Read our full article on Shine a Light here.

#18: Make new doggy friends at Chow Cute, a new dog cafe at Seletar

Photo from @samoyed_barkley via Instagram

Whether you’re a dog owner or are simply a dog-lover with no furkid of your own, you’ll have a barking good time at Chow Cute - the newest kid on the block at Seletar Aerospace Park. This pet-friendly cafe with food for humans also doubles up as a doggy daycare and boarding facility, and you’ll have a good chance of interacting with the pups staying there!