Sharjah 24:
At the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, children had the exciting opportunity to engage in various professions within a mini educational city, designed to inspire creativity and practical skills. The event enabled young visitors to take on roles such as doctors, detectives, and workshop technicians, while older participants channeled their imaginations into creating story characters and turning them into artwork and illuminated lamps. The activities held in Hall 7 at the Sharjah Expo Centre beautifully blended learning through play and hands-on experience, featuring a series of workshops tailored for children and teenagers of varying ages.
A Miniature City of Adult Professions
In the “Future Hands District,” children aged 3 to 7 experienced working in a miniature educational city, which included facilities mimicking real-life work environments they encounter daily. Each child selected a profession they wished to explore, donned the appropriate attire, and began their activities with the guidance of supervisors. They moved between various workshops, including car repair and washing, a construction area where they used blocks to design houses, towers, and bridges, and a mini medical clinic where they played the role of a doctor and learned fundamental health and hygiene principles.
The “Little Detective” experience captivated children as they embarked on an adventure to find clues, track footprints, and solve simple puzzles, allowing them to understand a detective’s role in a child-friendly manner. Each participant concluded their experience by receiving a badge representing their chosen profession, acknowledging their completion of activities that fostered teamwork and collaboration.
Illuminated Stories
Meanwhile, in the “Arts and Expression District,” attendees could turn their imaginative stories into illuminated lamps during the “Turn a Story into a Lamp” workshop, designed for youth aged 11 to 17. Participants created illustrated stories from their imaginations, drawing characters and scenes that were then used to craft lamps, enabling light to shine through their artistic designs.
Transformative Characters
Through the “Character Drawing Notebook” workshop, participants aged 11 to 17 learned how to create unique story characters. Using interactive sketchbooks, they could change the characters’ features, outfits, facial expressions, and surrounding environments. Participants experimented with how these changes affected the character’s shape and nature, gaining insight into how facial details, clothing, and settings contribute to character development in storytelling.
The Heritage of the Mandous
The workshop titled “The Beautiful Mandous” explored an aspect of Emirati heritage, as participants engaged in assembling a model inspired by the traditional mandous—a box historically associated with storing clothes and personal belongings. Participants aged 15 and older learned about the mandous’s structure and worked together to assemble over 40 pieces to create a complete heritage box model.
Clay Wall Clocks
The “Creative Industries District” featured the “Dali Clock” workshop, where children used air-dry clay to craft wall clocks, decorating them with artistic shapes of their own invention. This workshop allowed children aged 8 to 17 to experience working with a malleable artistic medium while learning the intricacies of shaping clay and adding decorative details to give each clock its distinctive appearance.
These workshops are part of the children and youth programme at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, presenting a multitude of activities in science, arts, design, and creative industries. Participants are encouraged to acquire new skills through hands-on experience at the Sharjah Expo Centre.