An afternoon at the Comics and Games Library, Punggol Coast Mall’s self-service NLB pop-up, is one of the most fun things to do in Punggol during the school holidays: more than 7,000 comics, graphic novels and board games in one bright space.

Picture four teenagers leaning over a table, arguing cheerfully about a board game based on Singapore drinks, while a nine-year-old two seats away laughs out loud at a comic and reads the best panel to nobody in particular.

This is idea #68 in eduKate Punggol’s Top 100 Things to Do in Punggol During the School Holidays. Below you will find how to get in, what is on the shelves and tables, a plan for a games-and-reading afternoon, and how comics can quietly turn a reluctant reader into a keen one.

Some parents still worry that comics are not “real reading”.

Spend an hour here and you may change your mind.

Reading pictures, following a story across panels and working out what happened in the gap between them is real reading, and children do it with a grin.

This idea is perfect for families who want to:

• tempt a reluctant reader with something that feels like fun;
• give teens a safe, free hangout with friends;
• try new board games before buying any for home;
• spend a rainy or hazy afternoon somewhere cool and lively;
• explore Punggol Coast and the Punggol Digital District area; or
• end the outing with a budget-friendly hawker meal.

Quick look

• Best for: all ages, and especially Primary 4 to Secondary 4
• Time needed: 1.5 to 3 hours
• Cost: free entry
• Best time: a weekday afternoon; the operator listing gives hours of 10am to 10pm daily
• Nearest MRT/LRT: Punggol Coast MRT (NE18)
• Rain plan: it is indoors, inside Punggol Coast Mall

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A Comics Afternoon Is Bigger Than It First Appears

At first glance, it looks like a hangout: comic covers, comfortable seats and tables of board games.

Look again and you will see a library, just a very unusual one.

NLB opened the Comics & Games Library at Punggol Coast Mall on 30 April 2025, working with JTC and the local board-game company Origame. NLB describes it as a fully self-service pop-up library with more than 7,000 items: comics, graphic novels, game-themed reads and board games. There is an adult section and a separate children’s section, comfortable seating, and a dedicated gaming space with local and regional titles.

That mix is the magic. A child who would never pick up a thick novel will happily read a graphic novel for an hour. A teen who says reading is “boring” will read a rule book three times to win a game. And a family that came for one thing often stays for the other.

The Hidden Lesson Between the Panels

Here is a tiny comic, described in words.

Panel one: a boy sets a plate of curry puffs on the table and walks away.

Panel two: the family cat is sitting very still, staring at the plate.

Panel three: the boy comes back. The plate is empty. The cat is licking its whiskers.

Nobody wrote “the cat ate the curry puffs”.

The reader worked it out.

That is inference, one of the most important skills in reading comprehension, and comics practise it on every page. The gap between panels, where the action is never drawn, asks the reader to fill in what happened. Children who are good at reading comics are often quietly good at reading between the lines in stories, too.

Board games teach a cousin of that skill. To play well, you have to read the rules carefully, picture what might happen next turn, and adjust your plan. Reading, predicting and adapting: it is all thinking, disguised as fun.

Why Punggol Families Love the Comics and Games Library

It is free, it is open long hours according to the operator, and it suits the age group that can be hardest to please: tweens and teens.

The joys of a comics-and-games afternoon

• More than 7,000 items, from children’s comics to graphic novels for older readers
• A dedicated gaming area with local and regional board games
• NLB’s launch list included local titles such as Kopi King, a family game about Singaporean drinks, and Durian Dash, where players visit plantations to collect durians
• A showcase wall of local comics, including Captain V, which NLB calls Singapore’s first full-colour comic
• Self-service entry and borrowing through the NLB Mobile app
• A cool, indoor space that works well on hot, wet or hazy days
• Punggol Coast Hawker Centre is close by for an affordable meal

Above all, it gives reading a playful, social face, which is exactly what some children need.

What You’ll Find Inside

These details come from NLB’s 2025 announcement, the Punggol Digital District store listing and our Comics & Games Library guide. Pop-up arrangements change, so treat this as a guide and check live.

Getting in

NLB says visitors scan their ID or request a QR day pass at the entrance. Our guide adds that the day pass is requested through NLB’s official link using a Singapore-registered mobile number or email, and that each person may need their own entry. Sort this out before you arrive, especially for children.

The shelves

The collection covers comics, graphic novels and game-themed reads, with an adult section and a separate children’s section. Books are borrowed through the NLB Mobile app. Illustrations alone do not mean a book suits young children, so check titles for younger readers.

The gaming tables

The gaming space has local and regional board games, developed with Origame, plus tables and seats for playing on site. Whether games can be borrowed to take home is not stated on the official pages we read, so ask about the rules for specific items.

The local comics showcase

A showcase of local comics donated by collectors includes Captain V and Medium Rare, which NLB describes as Singapore’s first comic adaptation of a film. These are for looking, not borrowing.

Digital corners

At launch, NLB described an eReads area with a touchscreen bookshelf offering eBooks, including Mother Tongue titles, and StoryGen, an interactive service that reimagines classic stories in a manga art style using generative AI, alongside panels on telling real information from fake. Check what is running when you visit.

How to Plan a Brilliant Comics-and-Games Afternoon

1. Check the hours and the air

The operator listing gives hours of 10am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday, “subject to changes by the store”. As this is a pop-up, check live through NLB’s information link before you go, especially on public holidays. If you plan to walk, look at haze.gov.sg too.

2. Sort out entry for everyone

Bring ID or the NLB app, and request any day passes in advance. A child without entry access can turn a happy arrival into a frustrating wait.

3. Choose a “games first” or “books first” plan

Some children need to move and talk first; others like to settle with a book. Agree the order in advance, with time for both.

4. Set a reading bridge

For a reluctant reader, try our favourite trick: choose a graphic novel today, then borrow one prose book in the same genre to read at home.

5. Agree on table manners

Shared games mean shared responsibility. Keep all the pieces together, pack games away neatly and keep voices friendly so others can enjoy the space too.

6. Plan the meal

Punggol Coast Hawker Centre is nearby. At opening in July 2025, JTC said each of its 40 stalls offered value meals at $3.50 and below; prices change, so check live.

A Sample Holiday Day, Hour by Hour

1.30pm: Lunch at home

Eat first, so nobody plays a board game on an empty stomach.

2pm: Travel to Punggol Coast

Take the MRT to Punggol Coast. Teens can lead the way as a small step in independence.

2.30pm: Books first

Spend 45 minutes browsing and reading. Each person picks one comic or graphic novel to read and one to borrow.

3.15pm: Game on

Choose a board game everyone can play. Let the youngest player read the first rule aloud.

4.45pm: The bridge book

Before leaving, help each child find one prose book in a genre they enjoyed today, and borrow it on the NLB app.

5.30pm: Hawker dinner

Walk to Punggol Coast Hawker Centre. Teens can try a “$10 for two” budget challenge. Ask, “Which game would you want at home, and why?”

Three Ways to Enjoy It

For little explorers (Primary 1–3)

Head for the children’s section and choose short, funny comics. Read speech bubbles aloud together and ask, “What happened between these two pictures?” Choose a board game with simple rules and play as a family. Preschool siblings enjoy the pictures, but check that titles suit their age.

For big kids (Primary 4–6)

This is the sweet spot. Let them explore graphic novels freely, then set the “comic-to-novel bridge”: one graphic novel and one prose book in the same genre. Board games with a little strategy are great for this age, and keeping score is easy mental arithmetic practice.

For teens (Secondary 1–4)

Teens may enjoy a board-game afternoon with friends, followed by a budget hawker dinner. It is free, sociable and within easy reach. Those interested in technology might find NLB’s panels on generative AI and spotting fake information, if they are still on display, a thoughtful start to a dinner debate. Our guide to things to do in Punggol for teenagers has more ideas.

The Learning Bridge: English and Mathematics Without the Worksheet

Comics and games are fun first, but they rehearse real skills.

• English: MOE’s English syllabus includes Reading and Viewing, and graphic novels are visual texts. Working out what happens between panels is inference, a core comprehension skill.
• English (procedures): Reading a board game’s rules and explaining them to others practises following and giving clear instructions.
• Mathematics: Keeping score, adding points and, at dinner, working out change from a hawker meal are all everyday practice with numbers and money.

Keep it relaxed; no reading logs are required at the gaming table. For ways to move from comics to longer books, see our recommended story books for the school holidays.

Little Hiccups and How to Dodge Them

Stuck at the entrance

Entry needs an ID scan or a QR day pass, and each person may need their own. Prepare this before you leave home.

The pop-up has changed

There is no published end date, and the operator says hours are subject to change. Check live before every visit.

Not a quiet study space

This is a lively, social library. For silent revision, use the Study Zone at Punggol Regional Library instead.

Missing game pieces

Count the pieces before you start and before you pack away, so the next family has a complete game.

Content for younger children

Comics come in all kinds. Steer young children to the children’s section and check unfamiliar titles.

Heat, rain and haze

The library is indoors, but the walk to Punggol Coast is not. Check haze.gov.sg, and wait indoors if the MSS lightning alert page shows storms nearby. On high-haze days, our Punggol Haze Indoor Activity Planner has more ideas.

What a Great Day Looks Like

You will know it was a good afternoon when:

• someone reads for 30 minutes without noticing the time;
• a child explains what happened “between the panels”;
• the family plays a game together and everyone laughs at least once;
• every game goes back with all its pieces;
• a reluctant reader borrows a book to finish at home; and
• the teens ask to come back with their friends.

That last one means you have found a new favourite place.

When to Go

MOE’s 2026 calendar gives primary and secondary schools a year-end break from Saturday 21 November to Thursday 31 December 2026. In 2027, the breaks in MOE’s calendar are 13 to 21 March, 29 May to 27 June, 4 to 12 September and, from 20 November 2027, the year-end holidays.

The operator listing gives 10am to 10pm daily, which makes this a handy plan for a rainy evening as well as an afternoon. Weekday afternoons are usually calmer than weekends. Over Christmas and New Year, check live, as the official NLB pages we read did not confirm public-holiday hours.

Getting There from Around Punggol

The library is at #01-140, 88 Punggol Way, inside Punggol Coast Mall. The nearest station is Punggol Coast MRT (NE18), one stop beyond Punggol on the North East Line. Our guide notes that a general map pin for Punggol Digital District may lead to the wider development rather than the library entrance, so use the unit number. For the layout of the area, see our Punggol Coast Mall guide. This is a separate place from Punggol Regional Library at One Punggol.

Location: Comics & Games Library, #01-140, 88 Punggol Way, Punggol Coast Mall, Singapore 829913
Nearest MRT: Punggol Coast (NE18)
Entry: free; ID scan or QR day pass; 10am to 10pm daily per the operator listing, subject to change

Quick Details

Activity: reading comics and graphic novels, and playing board games, at an NLB pop-up library

Where: Comics & Games Library, Punggol Coast Mall

Best ages: all ages; especially Primary 4 to Secondary 4

Cost: free entry

Time needed: 1.5 to 3 hours

Booking: none; entry by ID scan or QR day pass

Accessibility: not detailed on the official pages we read; ask on arrival or check live

Status checked: October 2026, Punggol Digital District store listing (open, “subject to changes by the store”; no end date published)

What to Bring

• ID or the NLB Mobile app, and any QR day passes
• A tote bag for borrowed books
• A water bottle
• Money for hawker dinner, and a $10 note for the teen budget challenge
• A small notebook for game scores and book titles
• An umbrella for the walk

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as Punggol Regional Library?

No. It is a separate NLB pop-up at Punggol Coast Mall, near Punggol Coast MRT. Punggol Regional Library is at One Punggol.

Is it free?

Yes, entry is free.

What are the opening hours?

The operator listing gives 10am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday, subject to changes by the store. Check live before you go.

How do we get in?

NLB says visitors scan their ID or request a QR day pass. Each person may need their own entry.

Can we borrow the comics?

Yes. Books are borrowed through the NLB Mobile app. Showcase items are for viewing only.

Can we borrow the board games?

The official pages we read do not say games can be taken home. You can play them at the gaming tables; ask about specific items.

Is it a good place to study?

Not for silent study. It is a social space. Use the Study Zone at Punggol Regional Library for focused revision.

Helpful Reading for Punggol Families

• Top 100 Things to Do in Punggol During the School Holidays
• Punggol School Holiday Guide: A Week-by-Week Plan for the Year-End Break
• Comics & Games Library at Punggol Coast Mall: Hours, Entry and Borrowing Guide
• A Book and Games Day in Punggol
• Punggol Coast Mall Guide 2026
• Is Punggol Digital District the Same as Punggol Coast Mall?
• Things to Do in Punggol for Teenagers
• Recommended Story Books to Read During the School Holidays
• NLB: Comics & Games Library Launch

The Comics and Games Library for Punggol Families

Reading does not always look like a quiet child with a thick book.

Sometimes it looks like laughter at a punchline.

Sometimes it looks like a teen reading the rules aloud.

Sometimes it looks like a cat, an empty plate and a reader who worked it all out.

For little ones, the Comics & Games Library is a place of pictures and giggles.

For big kids, it is a bridge from comics to bigger books.

For teens, it is a free, friendly place to play, read and belong.

And for parents, it is a happy reminder that a love of reading can begin anywhere, even at a games table.

Plan the Rest of Your School Holidays

Browse the full Top 100 Things to Do in Punggol During the School Holidays, or carry on to idea #69, the teen study sprint, for a calmer, more focused library visit.

And if a calm, small-group learning block is also on your holiday list, eduKate Punggol teaches English, Mathematics and Science in classes of three. Come find out more.

Book a consultation · Chat on WhatsApp

eduKate Punggol
Small-group English, Mathematics and Science
Primary and Secondary
By appointment · +65 8823 1234

Properly taught kids shine a bright light into the future.

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Checked October 2026. Opening hours, prices, programmes and closures change, so please confirm with the official source before you go.