The National Library & Archives Board (NLB) has a free November 2026 school holiday programme running across its libraries. The two headliners are the Snoopy Pop-Up Library at Plaza Singapura and a library-wide detective game, A S.U.R.E. Mystery. The holidays are already underway and Snoopy’s next meet-and-greets are on 21 and 22 November, so this is one of the cheapest ways to fill a weekend without handing anyone a tablet.
The schedule covers everything from baby rhyme time to Dungeons & Dragons, which makes it a lot to sift through. If last year’s planning meant combing through roundups like our June 2024 kids’ activities list, this one is easier because nothing on it costs money. Here are the picks worth circling.
Snoopy Moves Into Plaza Singapura
NLB’s Snoopy Pop-Up Library opened on 27 October 2026 on Level 3 of Plaza Singapura. Kids can browse and read in themed corners named after the Peanuts gang: Charlie Brown’s Classroom, the Peanuts School Bus and Snoopy Garden.
The best detail is Lucy’s Booth. It gives out personalised book recommendations printed as a bookmark, so a child goes home with a reading list that feels like their own discovery. Entry is free with a library card, an NLB eCard or a QR code day pass, and the space welcomes all ages.
The first round of meet-and-greets ran from 7 to 9 November. The second round is on 21 and 22 November, with sessions at 11am, 2pm and 4pm on both days. Six slots over one weekend means families can fit a session around nap time instead of planning nap time around Snoopy. The 10pm closing time is good news for teens, who can drop by after dinner in town without making it a whole outing.
A Cafe Heist in Woodlands
A S.U.R.E. Mystery is NLB’s four-part interactive detective series. It’s built on the library’s S.U.R.E. steps, which stand for Source, Understand, Research and Evaluate. Players examine crime-scene displays, weigh the evidence and submit their deductions to solve each case. Finishing a mission enters you into a lucky draw, with Mission Prizes and a Grand Prize Draw up for grabs.
November’s case is Mission 2: Heritage Cafe Heist. The standout session is the Mission 2 Interactive Theatre at Woodlands Library on the morning of Saturday, 21 November. Actor-facilitators play the characters and answer questions from the audience. Questioning a “suspect” in person is far more fun than staring at a display board, and that live element can keep a fidgety kid hooked until the end.
Collectors should look out for the roving pop-up activations, which hand out limited-edition collectible bookmarks. NLB lists two this month: Geylang East Library on 21 November and Woodlands Library on 28 November, both Saturdays. NLB says the game suits children, teens and families. Its four steps are the same habits anyone needs before believing a viral post, which makes it a smart choice for a household of heavy scrollers.
Happening This Weekend
Families in the north can catch Early READ Fiesta 2026/2027 at Woodlands Library on 13 and 14 November, from 10am to 5pm. It’s designed for children aged 0 to 6 and their older siblings. There are storytelling programmes, interactive stations and booths, plus a special gift at the redemption booth for anyone who completes every step.
If you can’t make it this weekend, the fiesta travels. It’s at Punggol Library on 21 November, Central Library on 5 and 6 December and Jurong Library on 19 and 20 March 2027.
On 14 November, Punggol Library hosts the Spark!Lab Inventors’ Workshop: Invent-A-Vehicle in its Atrium, from 11am to 12.30pm. Kids explore local author AJ Low’s Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong and invent a vehicle to help the boy detective solve mysteries. Spark!Lab is the Level 2 tinkering space NLB set up with the Smithsonian Institution. On regular days, entry is first-come-first-served with no registration needed.
Saturday 21 November Is Packed
If you only plan one day, make it 21 November. Three picks stand out.
The Mini Forest School Workshop at Ang Mo Kio Library (3.30pm to 4.30pm) is the most hands-on session on the list. In this parent-child programme, children aged 3 to 8 carve a small piece of soft wood into a simple forest craft, with an adult working beside them. The workshop is about how natural materials build confidence and problem-solving skills, and it’s hard to think of a more screen-free way to spend an afternoon.
Punggol Library‘s fiesta day runs three storytelling sessions in its Level 5 Programme Room. Who Ate My Biscuit? starts at 11.30am. The Big Sad Wolf follows at 12.15pm and retells the Three Little Pigs from the wolf’s side. At 4pm, a phonics-packed adventure built around The Koala Who Could closes the day. A family with kids of different ages can stay for all three without anyone getting bored.
At Jurong Library, Book Bugs: The Secret of the Shards | Broc’s Shop runs from 11am to 5pm for kids aged 7 to 12. They borrow books, collect Broc’s Buddies cards and swap them for collectibles. NLB says it runs while stocks last, so it’s worth turning up early.
Teens Get Dice, Not Screens
The teen picks are the strongest case for “not scrolling” this holiday. On 21 November, Teens Takeover runs Learn to Play D&D with Criticals & Fumbles at Serangoon Library from 12.30pm to 4.30pm. D&D is short for Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop role-playing game where players tell a story together. The sessions guide complete beginners through the rules. On the same afternoon, the Game Masters of Sodalite Pop run tabletop role-playing sessions at Choa Chu Kang Library from 1pm to 5pm.
Teens who prefer writing to dice can join award-winning poet Desmond Kon at Clementi Library on 28 November, from 2pm to 3.30pm, to learn the craft elements of writing fiction. That same afternoon, artist Lee Soon Heng teaches beginner Chinese calligraphy at Tampines Library from 2pm to 4pm.
Parents Get a Session Too
Raising the Scrolling Generation, a workshop at Bedok Library on 15 November (11am to 12pm), is for parents, caregivers and educators. It looks at why teens struggle to put their phones down and suggests a 7-Day Digital Reset with simple steps like device-free meals.
On 28 November, Level Up with Gaming Guardians XP at Central Library (2pm to 4pm) is a parent-child workshop on safer gaming for kids aged 7 to 12. Registration is required, so sign up first.
Where to Start
Teens get the most out of the D&D afternoon, which costs nothing and gets a group of friends talking face to face for four hours.
🗓️ Date: 27 October 2026 to 19 September 2027
⏰ Time: 10am to 10pm daily
📍 Location: Snoopy Pop-Up Library, Level 3, Plaza Singapura
💰 Price: Free with a library card, NLB eCard or QR code day pass
🐶 Meet and greet: 21 and 22 November 2026, 11am, 2pm and 4pm
🔗 Details: NLB website, under Programmes for Children and Programmes for Teens
The full list, including storytelling in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, is on the National Library & Archives Board’s website under Programmes for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers, Programmes for Children and Programmes for Teens. Register early for any session that asks for it. Then pick your Saturday: Snoopy at Plaza Singapura, a cafe heist in Woodlands, or a wooden forest craft in Ang Mo Kio. None of them costs a cent, and every one gets the kids off their screens!
Photos and Visuals courtesy of the National Library & Archives Board (NLB).
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