National Gallery Singapore’s Art on Wheels visits Tampines Regional Library on Saturday, 28 November 2026 for a free beginner Chinese calligraphy workshop, from 2pm to 4pm. It is at the Level 4 open area beside MakeIT. The linked National Library Board booking page lists teens aged 13 to 17. Registration is required, and the Gallery lists 20 places.
Singapore Breakfast, the free walk-in activity, is on Saturday, 5 December from 2.30pm to 3.15pm at Jurong Regional Library. NLB moved it to the Level 1 Programme Zone. The activity is intended for children aged seven to 12 and parents, with places available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Tampines date and time — Saturday, 28 November 2026, 2pm to 4pm
- Tampines location — Level 4 open area beside MakeIT, Tampines Regional Library
- Tampines booking — Free, ages 13–17 on NLB’s event page, registration required
- Jurong date and time — Saturday, 5 December 2026, 2.30pm to 3.15pm
Plan your visit
At a glance · Official information · Common questions
Chapters 1–3 · What to know before you go
At a glance
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Tampines date and time | Saturday, 28 November 2026, 2pm to 4pm |
| Tampines location | Level 4 open area beside MakeIT, Tampines Regional Library |
| Tampines booking | Free, ages 13–17 on NLB’s event page, registration required |
| Jurong date and time | Saturday, 5 December 2026, 2.30pm to 3.15pm |
| Jurong location | Level 1 Programme Zone, Jurong Regional Library |
| Jurong booking | Free walk-in for children aged 7–12 and parents, subject to capacity |
| Check-in | NLB asks visitors to arrive 10 minutes early and use NLB Mobile for attendance. |
Chapter 1 of 7
Which library activity should you choose?
Choose Tampines for a booked lesson
The Tampines session is a two-hour introduction to Chinese calligraphy. The Gallery’s outreach page gives a broader age description of 13 and above. The linked NLB registration describes this Teens Takeover workshop as suitable for ages 13 to 17. Use the booking page when deciding who should attend. If an adult wants to participate, check with the organisers first.
A teenager attending with a friend should confirm both have places. The Gallery lists 20 spots and NLB asks for one ticket per participant. A free booking can still fill up. If you are bringing a younger sibling, you can plan a separate library visit while the teenager is in the workshop.
Choose Jurong for a shorter art activity
The Jurong stop invites children to draw a favourite breakfast food after looking at a reproduction of Lee Boon Ngan’s Singapore Breakfast. NLB lists ages seven to 12 and parents. There is no registration, and admission depends on available places. Plan around the 45-minute activity window rather than the library’s general opening hours.
If you are travelling with several people, save the Programme Zone and the 2.30pm start together. One adult can take the children to the activity while someone else returns books or finds the right room. The drawing can be the main reason to visit or a short part of a wider library outing.
Chapter 2 of 7
Tampines calligraphy: what to expect
A beginner workshop inspired by Lim Tze Peng
The Gallery connects the workshop with Lim Tze Peng’s Untitled (Blue Mosque), dating from around the late 1970s. The work depicts the Sultan Mosque and its surroundings through the artist’s memories of Kampong Glam. You can look for one colour or mark that gives the place its character before trying to describe the whole picture.
The workshop is led by Lee Soon Heng. NLB describes it as an introduction to Chinese calligraphy. A useful first observation is how the appearance of a line changes when the brush moves faster, slows down or presses more firmly. Watch how a turn or pause changes the mark. Follow the instructor’s guidance for the materials and activity on the day.
Register and plan for a 1.50pm arrival
Use NLB’s event page and register one ticket per participant. NLB asks visitors to arrive 10 minutes before the 2pm start and says seats may be released to walk-ins if registered attendees arrive late. A booked place and a timely check-in are both part of the plan. If the workshop is full, ask about availability before making a special trip.
Download or update NLB Mobile as requested by the library. At the venue, follow the attendance instructions for scanning the QR code. Read the confirmation for any update. The event is listed as in person, with Tampines Library and the Level 4 open area stated in the venue information.
Find Level 4 beside MakeIT
Tampines Regional Library is inside Our Tampines Hub. Tampines MRT is a practical rail starting point. Set the hub as your destination, then find the library and Level 4 open area beside MakeIT. A meeting point on another floor will still leave a short walk, so give the person bringing the teenager the actual level.
Use the named open area when asking for directions. MakeIT is the landmark, and the event booking is for the art workshop. If you need a step-free approach, NLB’s event page links to wheelchair-friendly routes and the library’s visitor information. Leave room for that route and check-in before 2pm.
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Chapter 3 of 7
Jurong Singapore Breakfast: the venue has moved
Go to the Level 1 Programme Zone
NLB’s event notice says the activity moved from the Reading Lounge by the Green Sofa to the Level 1 Programme Zone. The Gallery’s older listing may still show the Reading Lounge. Follow the library’s current event notice. The date and time stay Saturday, 5 December, 2.30pm to 3.15pm.
Use Jurong Regional Library, 21 Jurong East Central 1, as the destination. Jurong East MRT is a practical rail approach. A previous Art on Wheels session took place at Jurong West Library, so use the event address and the new Level 1 room when sharing this plan.
Arrive around 2.20pm for the walk-in activity
NLB asks visitors to arrive 10 minutes early. It lists walk-in access on a first-come, first-served basis, with no registration. Leave enough time to find the Programme Zone and use NLB Mobile for attendance. NLB gives instructions for parents to add their child’s profile when submitting the child’s attendance.
If you are arriving closer to 3.15pm, the time left may be enough for only a short look or a small drawing. Plan to go to the activity first if it is the reason for your visit, then browse the library afterwards. Follow any instructions the staff give about the space and available places.
Choose a breakfast object to draw
Singapore Breakfast depicts foods and tableware associated with the 1960s and 1970s. The Gallery describes soft-boiled eggs, bread and a coffee pot among the objects. Ask a child which object they recognise first and which detail helps them identify it. Then invite them to draw something from their own breakfast.
A child can begin with one object such as an egg dish, a cup or a piece of toast. They can add a colour, pattern or shape that makes it personal. An adult can share what they remember eating at that age, or draw a different breakfast beside theirs. One object is enough to start the conversation.
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Chapter 4 of 7
After the event, use the library to follow one question
From Blue Mosque to a place you remember
Ask the participant to choose one familiar place and draw it from memory. Then compare the drawing with a photograph or with what another person remembers. Which features did both people keep? Which appeared only in one version? The comparison gives a way to think about how artists select details without expecting everyone to see the same thing.
At the library, look for a book about Kampong Glam, painting or calligraphy if the participant wants to continue. Choose one question they can answer by looking closely, rather than making the rest of the afternoon another scheduled activity.
From Singapore Breakfast to a family story
Ask a child and an adult to name the first detail they noticed in the painting. One might pick a food and another might choose a dish. Ask an older family member how breakfast was served when they were young, or compare the drawing with what the family usually eats today.
You can extend the activity with a short sketch at home. Put one ordinary object on the table and ask each person to draw it from where they sit. The drawings can differ even though the object is the same. That is a simple way to talk about viewpoint and attention.
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Chapter 5 of 7
Which source should you check before setting out?
Use the Gallery for the art and NLB for entry details
The Gallery introduces the works and the two stops. NLB’s linked pages give the event-specific audience, arrival instructions and latest Jurong room. Keep both to hand if you want the background as well as directions. If you receive a newer message from the organiser, check whether it changes a detail for your session.
The age focus and booking rules are distinct. Tampines asks teenagers to register. Jurong welcomes children aged seven to 12 and parents as walk-ins, subject to space. If siblings want to attend together, use the age guidance before deciding which stop is most practical.
Make the destination clear in a family message
For Tampines, send Our Tampines Hub, the Level 4 open area beside MakeIT and the expected check-in time. For Jurong, send 21 Jurong East Central 1, Level 1 Programme Zone and the time window. Both activities are called Art on Wheels, so the branch, floor and date are the useful details for someone who has not seen the listing.
Save the registration confirmation for Tampines and the room notice for Jurong. If you are bringing someone who needs assistance, review the wheelchair-friendly routes linked by NLB or contact the library before the visit.
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Chapter 6 of 7
Compare the check-in steps before leaving
One booked ticket for each Tampines participant
Open the NLB registration page and confirm the date, age guidance and one-ticket-per-person rule. Check the booking email and use the Level 4 room beside MakeIT. Arrive around 1.50pm. A participant who reaches the building at 2pm may still need time to find the correct area.
NLB requests attendance through its mobile app. Check whether the participant can open it and use it before setting out. If another adult is bringing the teenager, send the confirmation and room information together. The booking can then be checked without searching the Gallery’s wider calendar.
Walk-in attendance at Jurong
Use the individual NLB page for the updated Level 1 location. If you arrive early, go to the Programme Zone first and ask staff where to wait. As the activity is walk-in, there is no reservation confirmation to show. NLB still asks families to use its mobile attendance process.
If you plan to spend the rest of the afternoon in the library, arrange the art activity first. It finishes at 3.15pm. After the session, the library visit can continue at a pace that suits the children. This keeps a fixed event and a flexible outing from competing for the same time.
If a session cannot accommodate you
A free programme can fill up. For Tampines, check the registration and ask the organisers what is possible if no slots remain. For Jurong, capacity is decided on the day. A family can still plan a library visit and look for a book or make a quick drawing independently if there is no place.
If access is important, check the individual event page’s wheelchair-friendly route and ask the library about the final stretch to the room. A route to the building and a route to the activity are different steps. Sharing the floor and room with everyone makes it easier to meet at the right place.
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Chapter 7 of 7
Two simple ways to continue looking at art
Look for the difference between a remembered place and a current one
At Tampines, Lim Tze Peng’s mosque image can start a conversation about what we choose to remember. A building may be recognisable even when a colour or view has changed. Compare what the artist’s mark suggests with a photograph or an observation from a later walk. Let the participant decide which detail matters most.
For a short follow-up at home, draw the same view twice. In the first version, keep the details you remember. In the second, choose one part to emphasise. Ask how the change affects the feeling of the scene. This brings the artwork’s question into an everyday experience.
Look at the breakfast table from a different seat
At Jurong, invite a child to draw the same cup from one side and then from another. The shape may change on the page even when the cup stays still. Ask which view makes the cup easiest to recognise. This is a simple exercise in looking closely and choosing what to show.
An adult can join by drawing a breakfast from a different stage of life. Compare the objects, colours and table settings in the drawings. The activity can lead to a discussion of what has changed over time, and it starts with objects everyone can see or describe.
Contents · Previous chapter · Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
When is the Tampines workshop?
Saturday, 28 November 2026, 2pm to 4pm, on Level 4 beside MakeIT.
Who can book the Tampines workshop?
NLB’s linked booking page lists teens aged 13 to 17. Registration is required and the Gallery lists 20 places.
Where is Singapore Breakfast at Jurong?
NLB moved it to the Level 1 Programme Zone, Jurong Regional Library, 21 Jurong East Central 1.
When is the Jurong activity?
Saturday, 5 December, 2.30pm to 3.15pm.
Do I need to book Jurong?
It is free and walk-in, subject to first-come, first-served availability. NLB lists children aged seven to 12 and parents.
Which artworks are featured?
Lim Tze Peng’s Untitled (Blue Mosque) at Tampines and Lee Boon Ngan’s Singapore Breakfast at Jurong.
Booking and official information
- NLB Tampines calligraphy registration
- NLB Jurong programme and room change
- National Gallery Art on Wheels calendar
- National Gallery outreach information
- NLB Jurong Regional Library address