Sharjah: Children from many schools across the emirate are taking part in the Children’s Programme at the 32 edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) which opened on Wednesday and runs for 11 days.
From educational activities to art and music shows, the SIBF children’s programme includes numerous workshops for children between the age of 4-12 which cover important topics such as the environment, health, science and culture.
Gulf News talked to Jenifer Young from Mad Science UAE, an institution that provides science education around the world, about their workshops at the fair.
“We like to provide edutaintment for children through different workshops that talk about the eco-system, the underwater world, the importance of recycling, and the air around us,” said Jenifer.
Aiming to deliver different awareness messages through their workshops, Mad Science UAE is also providing children with the chance to carry out their own scientific experiments in a fun station called ‘Make and Take’. “We had more than 200 children this morning attending the morning event ‘The spectacular show’ and we are receiving more children in every session,” she added.
Another workshop at the children’s corner, ‘Healing in Eco-Seoul - Healing Senses’ hosted many children who learned how to make eco-friendly Korean style plates with natural paper.
Kim Ayoung, a teacher from Korea said that children are learning about environment-friendly practices through arts and crafts. “This is the first time I have taken part at the fair, and it’s a great way to teach children eco-friendly habits and tell them about ways to reduce pollution and recycle,” added Kim.
In addition to environmental awareness, other sessions include lectures about the importance of exercise, healthy eating habits, and the basics of photography. The children’s programme, which will carry out over 200 diverse activities, is open daily from 10am to 10pm until November 16.
Alongside the children’s programme, a variety of children’s books are available to students including the Sharjah-based publishing house Kalimat’s 20 newly released titles, which will be added to its collection of 140 books.
Kalimat is also hosting a line-up of children’s events and activities including story reading sessions, book signings, and a number of meetings with authors and illustrators.
Tamer Said, Business Development Manager at Kalimat Group, said that “The Sharjah International Book Fair offers an ideal platform for us and publishers from all over the world to exhibit new works to a large number of visitors and guests.
“The fair also offers us an excellent opportunity to meet with children and their families, and listen to their opinions about our publications and the topics covered in children’s stories by our authors,” he added.
With over 600,000 visitors in 2012, the 32 edition of the SIBF is expecting an even larger number of schools and families to visit this year. The event will include over 580 activities in total ranging between cultural, cookery and children’s programmes.
