Jem with Kids: Free Jem Play, the Dreamers Ball Pit Cinema and the Library Next Door (2026)

2 October 2026 · 13 min read

Jem has 250 shops across six retail floors and exactly one enrichment centre on them. That is the odd thing about the bigger of the two malls on top of Jurong East MRT. Westgate, joined to it by the J-Walk bridge, has ten classes on Jungle. Jem has none, and its two kids' classes are a tuition centre and a public speaking school in the office tower.

What Jem has instead is the free play that Westgate lost. Westgate Wonderland closed on 17 February 2026 with no reopening date, which makes Jem Play on Level 5, the netted honeycomb playground beside Kopitiam Food Hall, the only free playground in Jurong East still open. It is 10am to 10pm, costs nothing, and half of it was out of action when BYKidO visited in September 2026.

Then there is the cinema. Shaw Theatres took over the Cathay space on Level 5 in November 2025, and its Dreamers hall has a 17 square metre ball pit and a five-metre slide inside the auditorium. A child under 90cm watches free. Jurong Regional Library, the largest public library in Singapore, is a five-minute walk along Jurong Gateway Road.

This guide covers every kids' reason to go, place by place, with the unit, hours and price. Jem's own "Where to Eat with Kids" page, dated 13 July 2026, names ten restaurants and not one price, and leaves out the four with a real children's offer. For the rest of the area, read our guide to things to do with kids in Jurong East and Jurong Lake Gardens.

Quick steer

• Best for a rainy hour with a toddler: Jem Play, free, Level 5, if the trampolines are working.
• Best free thing: Jem Play, then the Early Literacy Library in the basement of Jurong Regional Library, five minutes away.
• Best class to trial first: Speech Academy Asia, 90-minute free trial, office tower #06-01.
• Best age for this mall: 3 to 9.

Family favourites: play at Jem

Jem has one playground, one rooftop water play area whose 2026 status we could not confirm, and a cinema hall built for children who cannot sit still. The library next door is the fourth entry because it is where this mall's families go when the playground is half closed.

1. Jem Play

Jem Play is the free playground on Level 5, beside Kopitiam Food Hall and the Shaw Theatres entrance. It was rebuilt in 2018 as an orange and yellow netted honeycomb: three hexagonal climbing nets, two joined by a netted bridge, triangular rubber hammocks, hexagonal trampolines set into the floor and a short crawl tunnel. Play panels along the food court's glass wall keep toddlers busy.

The catch is maintenance. BYKidO found about half the equipment closed on 9 September 2026, and Little Day Out found the netted tunnel shut in January 2024. Jem's website has no page for it and publishes no age limit or sock rule.

Why kids will love it: Bouncing on a trampoline set into the floor, then scrambling up a net to look down on the food court. Best for ages 3 to 9. It is sheltered rather than air-conditioned. Go before lunch on a weekend; by 2pm the nets are full.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: Jem
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, Level 5, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm daily. Parts close for maintenance without notice.
Price: Free.
Ages: No published limit. Best for 3 to 9.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C to J-Walk.

2. Jem rooftop garden water play, Level 6

One floor above Jem Play, the rooftop garden holds the mall's water play: a shallow pool with water raining down from above, small fountains, and the pair of mudskipper sculptures moved up from the old Level 5 playground. The gardens are tiered across Levels 5 to 7, so there is shade and a place to sit while a child gets wet.

We could not confirm it was running in October 2026. The last dated report we found was a parent's post from 1 November 2025, which called it free and well kept. Earlier posts say the wet area closes on the second Monday of each month for maintenance. Check at Level 5 before you promise it.

Why kids will love it: Standing under a curtain of water in their clothes because nobody said no. Best for ages 2 to 7. Bring a change of clothes and a towel; there is no changing room up here, but the Level 5 Family Room has a nappy station and a toilet.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: Jem overview
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, Level 6, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: Mall hours, 10am to 10pm. 2026 status unconfirmed; last dated report November 2025.
Price: Free.
Ages: Best for 2 to 7.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C.

3. Shaw Theatres Dreamers hall

Shaw Theatres opened at #05-04 in November 2025 in the space Cathay Cineplexes left in March 2025, and held its official opening on 27 June 2026. Of its ten halls, the one that matters here is Dreamers: a family cinema with soft lighting, lower volume, rope tunnels, a five-metre slide and a 17 square metre ball pit of roughly 14,000 balls inside the auditorium. It is the largest Dreamers hall Shaw has built.

Tickets are dearer than a normal screening. Both adults and children must wear anti-slip socks to use the play area.

Why kids will love it: Sliding into a ball pit halfway through the film and nobody shushing them. Best for ages 3 to 8. Book an off-peak weekday session; the price drops by $4 a ticket and the ball pit is emptier.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: Shaw Theatres Jem
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #05-04, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: By showtime. Dreamers sessions run daily; check the Shaw site.
Price: Off-peak Mon to Thu $18 adult, $11 child above 90cm and under 13, under 90cm free. Fri to Sun and public holidays $22 adult, $14 child.
Ages: Best for 3 to 8.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C.

4. Jurong Regional Library, five minutes away

Jurong Regional Library at 21 Jurong East Central 1 is the largest public library in Singapore, and the first with an Early Literacy Library, a room in the basement built for children under 7 with floor cushions, picture books and a reading corner for babies. The Children's Zone is on the same basement floor; the Teen Zone is on the top floor. Study rooms on Levels 2 and 3 are bookable, and a bakery sits by the entrance.

From Jem, take Exit A of the MRT and walk up Jurong Gateway Road; the library is behind the bus interchange.

Why kids will love it: A room where everything is at their height and nobody tells a two-year-old to be quiet. Best for ages 1 to 8. Weekday mornings are near empty; Saturday after 2pm is not.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: Jurong Regional Library
Address: 21 Jurong East Central 1, Singapore 609732. Google Maps
Opening hours: 10am to 9pm daily. Closed on public holidays; closes 5pm on the eve of New Year, Chinese New Year and Christmas.
Price: Free.
Ages: Early Literacy Library for under 7s. Children's Zone for all ages.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit A.

The kids' retail is on Level 4, which is also where the tuition centre and the paediatrician are. Toys"R"Us at #04-23 (10am to 10pm) took the old Kinokuniya space in 2022. The LEGO Certified Store by Bricks World is at #04-42, Dr Kong's children's shoes at #04-02, and Gift.ed by Turtle at #04-38 runs small craft sessions where a child decorates and assembles a project. Smiggle is at #02-37.

Thomson Paediatric Centre at #04-18, inside the Thomson Specialist Centre, is the clinic to know. It opens Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm, Friday and Saturday 9am to 1pm, and is closed on Wednesdays, Sundays and public holidays. Saturday is walk-in; the other days need an appointment on 6665 1000.

Learn and play: classes at Jem you can book on Jungle

None yet. Jem has two kids' classes in the building, a tuition centre on Level 4 and a public speaking school in the office tower, and neither is on Jungle. Both are below with what they publish. For bookable classes, the ten Jungle-listed centres at Westgate are one bridge away, under "Make a day of it".

5. The Learning Lab

The Learning Lab's Jem centre fills eight units at #04-44 to 51, next to Toys"R"Us, and has done since December 2017. It teaches English, maths, science and Chinese from Nursery 2 to Junior College 2 in weekly 90-minute lessons, with the timetable split between weekday afternoons and weekend mornings. It is tuition, not enrichment, and it is one of the few centres in Jurong East that publishes its fees.

Those fees are the highest in this guide. Expect $523.20 to $625.68 a month per subject, plus a $98.10 registration fee and a $150 deposit per subject.

Why kids will love it: They will not, especially. What a Primary 3 child gets is a worksheet that matches the school syllabus and a teacher who marks it that week. Best for Primary 1 to 6. Early registration for 2027 opened in September.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: The Learning Lab Jem
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-44 to 51, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: Mon to Fri 1pm to 9pm. Sat and Sun 9am to 6pm. Closed public holidays.
Price: Preschool $523.20 (weekday) or $562.44 (weekend) a month for four lessons. Primary 1 to 4 $575.52 or $625.68. Primary 5 and 6 $536.28 or $579.88. Registration $98.10, deposit $150 per subject.
Ages: Nursery 2 to JC2, roughly 4 to 18.

6. Speech Academy Asia

Speech Academy Asia's headquarters is at #06-01 of the Jem office tower, 52 Jurong Gateway Road, reached by the office lifts rather than the mall escalators. It teaches public speaking, phonics, speech and drama and a "brain training" course to children from 3 to 16, plus holiday camps, and runs 11 centres in Singapore. New students get a 90-minute free trial class, the only free trial in this mall.

Term fees are not published. The school's own site lists hours of Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm and weekends 9am to 6pm.

Why kids will love it: Standing up in front of eight other children and being applauded for a two-minute speech about their dog. Best for ages 5 to 12 who go quiet in class. Book the trial for a weekend morning and watch from the back.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: Speech Academy Asia
Address: 52 Jurong Gateway Road, #06-01, Jem Office Tower, Singapore 608550. Google Maps
Opening hours: Mon to Fri 10am to 7pm. Sat and Sun 9am to 6pm.
Price: 90-minute free trial class. Speech Academy Asia does not publish its term fees online. WhatsApp 9061 1715.
Ages: 3 to 16.

Our guide to free trial classes for kids in Singapore lists the centres across the bridge and across the road that offer one. Browse Jem classes on Jungle.

Eat with kids at Jem

Jem has about 90 food outlets, two McDonald's and a KFC, which Westgate lacks, and no restaurant where children eat free every day. What it has is a 26-stall food court next to the playground and four places with a printed children's price. Those are the numbered entries; the rest follows.

7. Kopitiam Food Hall, Level 5

Kopitiam Food Hall at #05-01 is the food court, opened in September 2022 with 26 stalls, on the same floor as Jem Play and the cinema. The spread runs from chicken rice and claypot to Korean, teppanyaki, an oyster bar and a halal corner. Seating is open plan and takes a stroller. The playground is visible through the glass, which is how most families eat here: one adult at the table, one at the nets.

Why kids will love it: Watching the trampolines through the glass while they eat, then going straight back out. Best for any age. Sit by the window at 11.30am, before the lunch queue.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: Kopitiam Food Hall Jem
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #05-01, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: 8.30am to 10pm daily.
Price: Hawker prices, most plates $5 to $9.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C.

8. IKEA Swedish Restaurant: kids' meals $4.50

The IKEA at #04-20 to 22, across three floors of the mall, was the first small-format IKEA in Southeast Asia when it opened in April 2021, and its Swedish Restaurant on Level 4 has the cheapest children's meal in the building. Every kids' meal is $4.50 with a Kivik juice: five meatballs with mash, two tempura chicken strips, five plant balls, or penne with tomato sauce.

Kids eat free runs only in short weekday windows for IKEA Family members, most recently 1 to 30 June and 7 to 11 September 2026. Nothing is live as of 2 October 2026.

Why kids will love it: Meatballs, a juice box and a tray they can carry themselves. Best for ages 2 to 10. Sign up for IKEA Family before the next school holiday and check the deals page the week before.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: IKEA Swedish Restaurant
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-20/21/22, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: 10am to 9.30pm daily, last order 9pm.
Price: Kids' meals $4.50 with juice. Kids eat free on weekdays in school-holiday windows for IKEA Family members; none running in October 2026.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C.

9. Jack's Place: kids' meals from $3++ on weekdays

Jack's Place at #04-15 is the old-school steakhouse on the same floor as Toys"R"Us, and in September 2026 it cut its kids' menu for its 60th anniversary. Nuggets and fries, spaghetti or fish and chips are $3++, and a minute striploin with chicken chipolatas is $5++, each with apple juice and a scoop of ice cream. The usual price is $8.80.

The deal is weekday dine-in only, for children under 10, with an adult à la carte or promotional main, and it excludes public holidays and Children's Day. No end date has been published.

Why kids will love it: A sizzling plate arriving at the next table, and ice cream that comes with the meal instead of being negotiated. Best for ages 3 to 9. Go on a weekday afternoon; the restaurant runs set lunches for adults until 2.30pm.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: Jack's Place
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-15, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: 11am to 10.30pm daily.
Price: Kids' meals $3++ or $5++ on weekdays with an adult main, under 10s. Usual kids' menu $8.80.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C.

10. PastaMania: kids' meal $9.90, free on the last Sunday of the month

PastaMania at #04-26 sells a kids' meal for $9.90: a pasta from five options including mac and cheese and creamy honey chicken, a side or an Udders ice cream, and a drink. On the last Sunday of each month one kids' meal is free with every adult main, for children 10 and under, dine-in, paid at the counter. Today, 2 October 2026, is Children's Day, and the chain is giving a free kids' meal with any main all day.

Why kids will love it: Mac and cheese, cheese sticks and an ice cream in one box, with their name on the order. Best for ages 3 to 10. The last-Sunday deal is one per receipt, so two children need two adult mains.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: PastaMania kids eat free
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-26, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: 11am to 9.30pm daily.
Price: Kids' meal $9.90. Free with an adult main on the last Sunday of the month, children 10 and under.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C.

11. Sushi Tei: kids' sushi platter

Sushi Tei at #03-18 is the Japanese restaurant Jem's own family dining page recommends for picky eaters, and it is the one with a proper children's section on the menu: a kids' sushi platter, a mini tempura set, a chicken teriyaki kids' meal and a plain veggie roll. Sushi Tei does not put its menu online, so the prices below are from menu aggregators dated 2025 to 2026 and may be out by a dollar or two.

Why kids will love it: Tamago and cucumber rolls on a plate shaped for them, and edamame to pop. Best for ages 3 to 10. Weekday lunch has no queue; Sunday at 6pm has a long one.

View on Jungle: not yet listed
Website: Sushi Tei
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #03-18, Jem, Singapore 608549. Google Maps
Opening hours: 11.30am to 10pm daily.
Price: Kids' sushi platter $12.90, mini tempura set $10.90, veggie roll $8.90, from menu aggregators 2025 to 2026.
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C.

The rest of the kid-friendly list

• McDonald's, #01-63 and #02-55: two outlets, Happy Meals, the Level 1 one is by Entrance D and the taxi stand.
• D'Penyetz, #05-02: halal Indonesian next to Jem Play, spice levels adjustable, 10am to 9.30pm.
• MOS Burger, #05-03: the small burger between the playground and the cinema.
• Wingstop, #05-05: halal wings, student combos on weekdays with a pass.
• Tsui Wah, #01-38: Hong Kong cafe, condensed milk bun $6++, 8.30am to 10pm.
• Din Tai Fung, #02-07: xiao long bao and fried rice, high chairs, no kids' menu.
• Pepper Lunch, #04-10: sizzling plates two doors from The Learning Lab.
• Paris Baguette, #02-20: bakery open 8am to 10pm, the early breakfast.
• Tiong Bahru Bakery, #01-34/35: croissant $4.20, 8am to 10pm.
• Smöoy, #03-07: halal frozen yoghurt on the Sushi Tei floor.
• Warabimochi Kamakura, #B1-K25: five pieces $8.90, the basement dessert.
• KFC, #B1-02: the one Westgate does not have.

Family facilities at Jem

• Family Rooms: Basement 1, Level 3 and Level 5, each with a private feeding area, nappy station, water dispenser and a toilet with an adult and a child WC. The Level 5 one is next to Jem Play.
• Parent Rooms: Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5, with a nappy station, baby seat and toilet. Jem's site marks the Level 4 and Level 5 rooms as "upgrading".
• Accessible toilets: every level from Basement 1 to Level 5, with motion-activated sliding doors.
• Stroller loan and family parking: neither is mentioned anywhere on Jem's site. Bring your own stroller; the lifts serve Basement 3 to Level 5 from two lobbies.
• Concierge: Basement 2, 12pm to 9.30pm, 6225 5536.
• Car park: 669 bays on Basements 2 and 3, entrance from Jurong Gateway Road. Rates from 1 January 2024, inclusive of GST.
• Car park, weekdays: Monday to Thursday, $2.18 for the first hour then $0.55 per 15 minutes. $3.27 per entry after 6pm.
• Car park, weekends: Friday to Sunday and public holidays, $2.73 for the first hour then $0.65 per 15 minutes. $3.27 per entry after 6pm.
• Parking rebate: "Park for Less" runs to 31 December 2026: $3 off on weekdays for $50 spent the same day, up to three receipts, redeemed at the Basement 2 concierge. FairPrice Xtra receipts count half.
• Mall hours: 10am to 10pm daily. Jem's site does not state them; this is the figure every tenant listing gives.

Getting there

Jem sits on the corner of Jurong Gateway Road and Boon Lay Way, directly above Jurong East MRT.

• By MRT: Jurong East (NS1/EW24), Exit C onto J-Walk, the sheltered Level 2 walkway straight into Jem. Exit D goes the other way into Westgate, and the two malls are joined by the J-Walk bridge over Gateway Drive.
• By bus: the interim Jurong East Bus Interchange at 17A Jurong Gateway Road is a five-minute walk, with services 41, 49, 51, 52, 66, 98, 105, 143, 183, 197, 333, 334, 335, 506 and 993. The permanent integrated transport hub is due in 2027.
• By car and taxi: take Exit 27 off the PIE or Exit 11 off the AYE; the car park entrance is on Jurong Gateway Road. The sheltered taxi stand and private-hire pick-up are outside Entrance D on Level 1.

Make a day of it

The classes Jem does not have are one bridge, one road or one MRT stop away, and three of the area's water play spots are shut.

• Westgate, across the J-Walk bridge: our Westgate with kids guide covers Yooland, the indoor playground rebuilt in September 2026, and the Level 4 classes: My Gym at #04-49, NK Robotics at #04-18 with a free trial, The Ballet School Singapore at #04-10 and Aureus Academy at #03-18/19.
• Jurong Gateway Road HDB blocks, across the road from Exit A: the older centres Jurong East parents actually use, on Jungle with a booking link. Global Art at Blk 131 #04-267, KyungHee Taekwondo at Blk 135 #02-319 and Cristofori Music School at Blk 135 #04-321.
• Jurong East Swimming Complex, 21 Jurong East Street 31, ten minutes on foot: a wave pool, a lazy river, two kiddy pools and a new splash pad that replaced the slide tower, for 80 cents a child on weekdays and $1 at weekends. Open 8am to 9.30pm and closed on Mondays.
• IMM, a further stop along J-Walk: the sheltered rooftop playground on Level 3 is open, with a carousel and slides, and the mall has the outlet shops.
• Jurong Lake Gardens, one stop west at Lakeside: Forest Ramble, the nature playground, closes on Mondays.
• Closed right now: Westgate Wonderland since 17 February 2026 with no reopening date; IMM's Garden Plaza water play, closed since May 2025 until further notice; Clusia Cove at Jurong Lake Gardens, closed for maintenance until further notice; the 50-metre pool at Jurong East Swimming Complex until 31 December 2026.

At a glance

Jem is the mall you come to for the free playground, the ball pit cinema and a $4.50 plate of meatballs, and leave for a class across the bridge. Book a trial before you go, and browse every enrichment class in Jurong East on Jungle.