Every parent knows the toy that’s been loved a little too hard — the one missing an eye, leaking stuffing out one seam, still dragged everywhere anyway. Toy Doctor at Mandai Wildlife Reserve is where that toy actually gets saved. Half plush hospital, half hands-on workshop, and honestly one of the more heartwarming outings we’ve dragged the kids to.
Funseekers’ Verdict
Part toy hospital, part DIY workshop — kids walk away having stuffed, sewn, and “birthed” their own plush buddy, birth certificate and all. A genuinely different outing, and a sneaky little lesson in taking care of their things too.
Plan Your Visit
🧸 Toy Doctor Mandai Wildlife Reserve, 80 Mandai Lake Rd, #01M-17, Exploria, Singapore 729826
💰 Price: $35/kid for the experiences; toy repair pricing varies (see below)
👶🏻 Suitable for: All kids (under 12s need an adult tagging along)
🕗 Hours: 10am – 7pm daily
Highlights
🧸 Build Your Own Plush (BYOP), 60 minutes — stuff, sew and personalise your own toy, birth certificate included
🧸 Toy Doctor For A Day and the Inside Out Challenge — two proper little workshops for the curious ones
🧸 A real toy hospital that does deep cleans, repairs, and even skin grafts
🧸 Right next to Exploria, the Zoo, and the Curiosity Cove indoor playground
🧸 No shortage of food options nearby
Build Your Own Plush (BYOP)
This is the one to book if your kid wants to walk away with something they actually made. For $35 and a full 60 minutes, kids pick their plush “skin” (currently going: dog, rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, and Stitch, subject to availability), hand-stuff it, learn how to close up the seams so the stitching stays hidden, then add their own little personal touches. Every plush gets its own Birth Certificate at the end too — such a sweet little detail, our boys were so proud carrying theirs out. Kids 12 and under need a parent in tow, older ones can go it alone, but either way this isn’t a quick craft session — an hour is enough time for it to actually feel like something, not just a rushed souvenir.
The Toy Hospital
This bit is where the name really earns itself. Got an old favourite at home that’s seen better days? The team here handles the full works — deep cleaning and restuffing from 110fortoysunder35cm,mendingtornseams(10 to 250dependingonhowbadthedamageis),andevenreplacingeyesoranose(80 to $200). For the more serious cases — think skin grafting — it starts with a proper consultation and can take 7 to 14 days. Basically, if your kid’s childhood best friend needs a bit of TLC (tender loving care), this is the place that’ll actually bring it back to life, not just patch it up and send it home.
Two Workshops Worth Knowing About
If your little one’s ever asked what actually happens when a toy “goes to the doctor,” Toy Doctor For A Day answers it properly. It’s a real 45-minute workshop — kids get an actual tour of the back-of-house treatment room, meet a real Toy Doctor, and pick up basic sewing with child-safe needles, graduating as a junior Toy Doctor by the end. It’s pitched at ages 5 to 7, and walk-ins are welcome.
The Inside Out Challenge is the other workshop on offer, and it takes a slightly different angle — getting kids thinking about what’s actually stuffed inside a plush toy, the different materials used, and a bit of sustainability talk along the way. It wraps up with each kid making a mini plush to bring home. Suitable for under-12s, adult required.
Both workshops run 45 minutes and are $35 per child — good options if BYOP’s full hour feels like too much for a shorter attention span.
Good to Know
Toy Doctor sits right within Exploria at Mandai, so it’s an easy one to slot into a bigger day out — the Zoo and an indoor playground are both a stone’s throw away, and there’s plenty of food around if the kids (or you) get hungry mid-visit.
Final Thoughts
Toy Doctor isn’t your usual kids’ activity, and that’s exactly the appeal — part craft session, part actual toy hospital, with a quiet little lesson about looking after the things you love tucked in along the way. Between BYOP, the workshops, and the real repair service for toys that genuinely need saving, this is an easy one to recommend if your kid’s attached to a particular stuffed friend. Would we go back? Without question — Stitch is getting a sibling soon enough.
Have you brought your kids to Toy Doctor? Let us know which plush they built (or which old favourite they got fixed)!
