This is how children in UAE are keeping busy this summer

Dubai: They say, ‘it is that time of the year when things get quiet’. Ask these children and they will tell you otherwise. For they have not let a summer vacation come in the way of their high energy levels and enthusiasm. They are having a whale of a time during the summer here in the UAE — of course under the watchful eyes of their parents.

Take a look at what some of them had to share with us.

British siblings Ethan John Nunga, 7, and his younger sister Sofia Grace Nunga, 4, are having the time of their lives. Their parents Rio and Elly have set up a trampoline in the family’s backyard and the brother and sister just don’t seem to get tired playing there. Sometimes, Sofia also gets in there with her mother for some meditation.

Ethan, who will be in grade 3 from the start of the new academic year, has also been learning some instruments. But cracking the colour-coded puzzle cube has been a major achievement for him he said. “I was so excited when I did it. Thanks to all the time I have in hand with the summer vacation, I was able to do it.”

‘Holidays are fun’

Sofia, on the other hand, has been swimming a lot with her parents and brother. She is also learning to make cup cakes at home. “The holidays are fun,” she said. They have been busy doing some art and craft, playing on PlayStation, watching basketball and their favourite TV shows.

Besides, they have been doing a whole lot of other activities such as cycling, riding the scooters. “They have their own favourite toy characters and do role playing. They also watch a lot of Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime,” said their dad Rio.

It is the same with this eight-year-old Indian girl in Dubai, Alishbah Umar Khan. Her mother Meghna has not enrolled her daughter into any summer camp as she wants her to take it easy during the break. “I want her to feel like it is a holiday and don’t want her to wake up early. I did not want her to have the same routine,” said her mum.

‘I am so excited’

Yet, Alishbah is keeping herself busy — and having fun. “I love singing, but school was so busy that I could not learn it professionally. So my mother has enrolled me to a music institute. I am so excited,” said Alishbah. “I attend classes in Melodica and recently performed at Modesh World as well.”

To get into a fitness and dance routine, she has joined kids’ pilates and hip hop classes.

Besides, Alishbah and her parents visit Dubai Mall frequently. “I love to visit Kidzania and the Dubai Ice Rink,” she said.

Lebanese expatriate Ghassan Joueidi is excited with his summer camp at DS2DIO — at Town Square Dubai, Al Qudra. His mother Ulma has enrolled him into an eight-week summer camp with Disney-themed activities and movies. “They learn songs and scripts for assigned roles,” said Ulma. Ghassan said: “I love the summer camp. It is a lot of fun. Every day, I get to dress up as a new character. Today, I am playing the character of Olaf from Frozen.”

Aimen Asif, 9, an American expatriate of Pakistani origin, has been attending Maths classes in Galleria Mall at the Mathenesium coaching centre. Aimen, who will be in Grade 6 in the new academic year, has been attending these classes in order to prepare herself for the new academic year. “I love Maths. The classes I am attending are teaching me in advance what I will be doing later in Grade 6. I am so excited because I know once school starts, I will already have known a lot of the Maths syllabus in advance,” she said.

‘Not just sports and academics’

Aimen said she and her mother, Dr Mahnaz Mumtaz, a family medicine specialist, were contemplating other activities for the summer holidays. “I wanted to do something I had never done before. It was a toss-up between baking and stitching. I opted for stitching. It was fun. I have made two bags and an apron.”

Dr Mahnaz said the family has even got a stitching machine at home for the child to hone her skill. “The whole idea was for her to develop a new skill — not just sports and academics. So we narrowed it down to stitching, it’s a life skill,” she added.

Aimen is also an avid reader. “We are members of a library and every two weeks, I pick up a book. It is my favourite thing to do every night before I go off to sleep,” she added.