Learn how to code or create your own app at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
The 15th edition of the festival is hosting an array of tech-themed workshops and activities for children of all ages
Sharjah, May 03, 2024
Braving unpredictable weather conditions, scores of children and families attended the 15th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) on Thursday, filling the alleys and workshops with excitement, giggles and laughter. One of the popular workshops for children was Robot City, a 45-minute coding class, which taught kids aged eight and above how to play the classic game of ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ on a microbit.
“It’s Scratch! We know how to use the website,” said Fatma excitedly, as the instructor opened the website on screen to guide the students. The room was packed with over a dozen children attending the workshop. Each child worked on a dedicated laptop which was provided to them at SCRF’s world class workshop space.
“Technology is the future. We need to complement traditional learning with new tech. Teaching students from a young age helps them build logic and get a better grasp of algorithms. Learning how to code also has positive impacts on other aspects of a child’s personality. It helps them develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and teaches them how to work in teams,” said Safaa Al Ramal, programme manager of this workshop, who is also a coder herself.
The Brain section at SCRF will be hosting many such workshops and activities during the 12-day festival. Over the weekend this section will be hosting a Science workshop where children between the age of 6 and 12 will be able to conduct hands-on experiments making bubbling potions and erupting volcanoes. There will also be a masterclass on building robotic wonders — tall robots that walk and talk to tiny robots that pinch and zoom.
Children eager to get acquainted with the technological ropes of app development, gaming, robotics, coding, DIY physics, and circuits can look forward to learning from industry professionals in a relaxed, informal setting.
The workshops have dedicated laptops and other apparatus for all participants. Entry and participation are free; decided on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 15th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival is organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA). The 12-day festival features more than 1,500 activities and will be running until May 12 at the Expo Centre Sharjah.
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