It’s the final weekend for the 15th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), giving young book lovers two more days to enjoy a grand celebration of books, reading, writing, science experiments, cooking, cultural performances and more.
The festival runs until May 12 at Expo Centre Sharjah, with free entrance for all visitors.
Here are some activities that children, parents, and anyone with a youthful spirit can enjoy before SCRF comes to an end.
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Learn languages
SCRF is a melting pot of cultures, languages and diverse experiences. It’s no wonder parents bring their children to the festival.
Lebanese mother Racha El Khawand said, “SCRF is a unique place that offers a valuable opportunity for children to expand their linguistic horizons in a fun and interactive way. My daughter has a huge fascination for foreign languages. At SCRF, she and other children have the chance to explore other languages”.
“My children speak English and Arabic at home and in school anyway, but I would love for them to learn other widely spoken languages like French and Spanish which I don’t know, and SCRF is the perfect place to start that journey,” American-Egyptian dentist and mother of two, Abrar Abubakr said.
Organisers noted, “Whether it’s learning to say “hello” in Arabic, counting in French, or singing songs in Spanish, SCRF offers children a unique and immersive language learning experience that will stay with them for a lifetime.”
Build essential life skills
From whipping up chicken burgers and other delights, children are learning simple recipes at SCRF’s Cookery Corner.
“Our aim is to introduce foods suitable for different meal times,” noted Lamia Msallam, a lead instructor at the festival, where children aged eight and above receive a free masterclass on how to make and assemble their own snacks, such as chicken and veggie burgers, chocolate parfaits, pretzels, smoothies, and garden salad.
“Teaching children about healthy eating habits from a young age is essential, and what better way to do it than through fun, interactive cooking-without-fire workshops,” added Msallam.
Explore in fun science experiments
Experts from L’Atelier Bus are delighting children with fun-filled science experiments. One of them is ‘Exploring Volcanoes’, delving into fascinating facts about the Earth’s crust.
During the workshop, kids are given a PET bottle wrapped in aluminium foil, simulating an erupting volcano. They are also provided with safety glasses and gloves, some vinegar, water, baking soda, dishwashing liquid, and food colouring for the experiment.
“Through various workshops, we ignite young minds with the joy of learning and discovery,” noted one of the instructors.
Simply, have fun
Enjoy ‘Wonder Walks’ twice a day until until the end of the festival on May 12. In ‘Wonder Walks’, Italian duo of Alekos Ottaviucci, 29, and Ilaria Fioretto, 34, entertain the crowd with their circus stunts while dressed up in animal costumes.
“We bring an out-of-the-world act the guests really enjoy. This is the first time we brought this show to this festival and we are so inspired to have received the love from the audience,” said Fioretto, a former vegan chef-turned-bubble-artist, who now accompanies her partner Ottaviucci for shows all over the world including Europe and the Far East.