Toa Payoh Dragon Playground

Toa Payoh has an MRT station, a town centre and a dragon. Only one of them has a sandpit.

The Toa Payoh dragon is the retro playground to take small children to, and the one to show anyone who grew up in an HDB estate. It is free, open-air and in the middle of a housing estate, so the plan is simple: come in the cooler late afternoon, bring a bucket for the sandpit, and skip it at midday or in the rain, when the heat and the mess win. Nobody slides down the dragon’s back any more, for safety reasons; climbing through the rings is the game now.

Why this one

Because it survived. HDB built it in 1979 to a design by Khor Ean Ghee, an in-house HDB designer who created more than thirty playgrounds; only about ten were still standing by 2014. The National Heritage Board explains the thinking behind them. HDB playgrounds of the 1960s were purely functional, swings and see-saws, and the 1970s brought new series to encourage imaginative play, first with animals and then with local symbols such as the dragon, a creature found in legends across Asia.

The design is simple and it works: a big dragon head clad in terrazzo and tiles, a body of colourful steel rings children can climb through, and concrete slides alongside. It was based on an earlier dragon at Toa Payoh Town Garden, with a metal head, a longer spine and a circular monkey bar, which proved hard to fabricate and has since been removed.

Dragon playgrounds were phased out in the 1990s, and this one was at risk around 2014, when nearby blocks were slated for redevelopment. It was kept, and so was its sandpit, now a rarity. Khor also designed dove, pelican and elephant playgrounds in the late 1970s, including the Dakota Crescent dove; most have gone, which is the best argument for visiting this one while you can.

How to do it well

Find it at Block 28 Toa Payoh Lorong 6; the heritage board places it near Blocks 31 and 264, which helps when the block numbers start doing that thing HDB block numbers do. Late afternoon is the time, once the worst of the sun is off the tiles. Bring a bucket, a change of clothes for anyone under five, and wet wipes for the sand that will come home with you anyway.

Completists can hunt down the smaller relatives: a mini dragon at Block 240 Toa Payoh Lorong 1, with foam-mat flooring for younger children, and another in front of Block 570, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.

Parents of a certain age will feel a pang. Their children will just want another go, which is the point of a playground and the reason this one is still here.

Good to know Block 28 Toa Payoh Lorong 6 (the heritage board places it near Blocks 31 and 264). It’s an open-air public playground with no ticket. Avoid the midday heat and wet weather, when the sandpit and tiles get messy.

Toa Payoh Dragon Playground | Block 28 Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Singapore