Fun for Free: Hunting for saga seeds

When I was a child, I loved collecting saga seeds. There was something just so pretty about those small shiny bright red seeds, and I would keep them safely in a jar, and occasionally pour them out to admire them. 

Junior J and Lil J seem to share my fascination with these crimson pretties, and have been picking up seeds at various places in Singapore. There are some saga trees near our church, so they would always ask for time to search for seeds after church. However, the trees are by the road, and we usually don't end up with more than ten seeds each time, since many get crushed by cars, or fall into the drains. Another place that the boys have found seeds would be the zoo: there is a saga tree along the pathway from the Fragile forest leading to Rainforest Kidzworld, as well as another at the kangaroo feeding area. 

Imagine my delight when I read there was a saga tree resource on Google Maps, that showed you the location of many of the saga trees in Singapore! I found out about this when reading fellow mummy blogger Evelyn's post about saga seeds and pine cones, which also has some interesting links about these seeds. 

One of the locations on the map was Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West, where there seems to be at least two trees on the slope along Ang Mo Kio Street 12 (Opposite Blocks 126 and 134):

The park itself is lovely: There are a couple of wide green open spaces that kids can roam freely, and there is a great playground near Macdonald's. Lots to see and do! (Note: Bring insect repellent. There are a fair bit of mosquitoes there!)

Saga trees-wise, the trees are pretty fruitful, and the boys are able to collect a fair bit each time we visit the place. The trees are not easy to spot, but look out for those sporting these leaflets, as well as yellow seed pods that curl open when ripe! Do ask the kids to be careful though, since the trees are on a slope, plus the roots of the trees are home to some pretty big ants.

After our last visit, we counted the seeds we picked up, and Junior J had 117 of them, while Lil J (who refused all help) had about 50. The seeds are fairly easy to spot, since their bright red colour makes them stand out. 

I don't know what it is about kids, but they really love hunting for these little seeds. Even I find it rather therapeutic taking time to spot them and pick them up. Perhaps it is just the act of taking time to hunt for something rather insignificant, that forces me to slow down and notice the little things around me.

We've been asked many times what we are going to do with these seeds. I guess we might try some sensory play, or perhaps do some seed crafts and use the seeds to decorate something! For more ideas, you could check out some seed crafts here. 

PS: I wanted to share about where to find fiddler crabs in Singapore, however, baby has been really cranky with his 5th tooth and the older boys were sick, so I'm going to leave that for another post this week. Stay tuned!

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This August, 31 mums are sharing 31 different places you could bring the kids to explore, and they are all for FREE! Tomorrow, drop by Adeline's blog to discover another playground to check out. Adeline is a true-blue Singaporean, who loves all things free, especially if she doesn't have to queue for it. She believes in sharing all the good deals she can find, and was thrilled to discover this absolutely free playground recently. Do visit her blog, Growing with the Tans, to read about her latest find. 

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And finally, here's the whole list - 31 days of free fun in Singapore. Have fun exploring!

1 Aug: Tiong Bahru Park by Gingerbreadmum
2 Aug: Queenstown Heritage Trail by Princess Dana Diaries
3 Aug: Jurong Regional Library by Finally Mama
4 Aug: Singapore Maritime Gallery by Peipei Haohao
5 Aug: Singapore Philatelic Museum by Kids R Simple
6 Aug: Sculptures of Singapore by Gingerbreadmum
7 Aug: Fire Station by The Js Arena
8 Aug: Esplanade + Merlion by Prayerfull Mum
9 Aug: Bukit Batok Nature Park by Meeningfully
10 Aug: Lower Pierce Reservoir Park by The Kam Family
11 Aug: I12 Katong - water playground by Universal Scribbles
12 Aug: IMM by Mad Psych Mum
13 Aug: Tampines 1 Water Playground by Amazingly Still
14 Aug: Sengkang Riverside Park by Itchy Finger Snap
15 Aug: East Coast Park by Toddly Mummy
16 Aug: Sembawang Shopping Centre Playground by Joey Craftworkz
17 Aug: Animal resort by Raising Faith
18 Aug: Botanic Gardens by Mum's The Word
19 Aug: Police Heritage Centre by Mummy Ed
20 Aug: Venus Loop, MacRitchie by Scrap Mum Loft

21 Aug: Road Safety Park by Miracule

22 Aug: Marina Barrage by J Babies
23 Aug: Gardens By The Bay, Children's Garden by Finally Mama
24 Aug: Changi Airport T3 by Mother Kao
25 Aug: Pockets of Nature by Mum in the Making
26 Aug: Changi Airport T1 Growing with the Tans
27 Aug: Pasir Ris Park Ingspirations
28 Aug: Gardens by the Bay Supertree Grove by My Lil Bookworm
29 Aug: Vivocity Play Area by Amazingly Still
30 Aug: Punggol Promenade + Punggol Waterway by Chubby Anecdotes
31 Aug: Westgate Wonderland by Xavvylicious