SCRF helps break complexities of chemistry and biology
From learning to make flying objects to understanding density using water and oil, young visitors have a range of activities to choose from
It was a great day of fun and learning for hundreds of school students visiting the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2022) on Thursday as they delved deep into the practical applications of science.
From workshops on how to make flying objects using everyday material to those on understanding density using water and oil, young visitors had a range of activities to choose from to pique their diverse interests.
“Our endeavour is to blend science with games we played growing up so the whole exercise becomes not just interactive but also engaging for the young minds,” said workshop instructor Sarah Mezher from Room 94, the Beirut-based art and craft group that’s conducting a series of workshops throughout the 12-day festival with a focus on everyday science.
One of her sessions called ‘Let’s Fly’ will teach six- to 10-year-olds at SCRF the art of creating various flying games like kites, landing umbrellas and small helicopters.
‘SCRF 2022 IS A FUN CLASSROOM’: Eightyear-old Mohammed Eissa who used a foam cup, tape and a balloon to design a catapult that would launch soft, fluffy pellets into air, said: “It was a fun classroom. I really enjoyed making the flying object with my own hands and I want to take it home with me.”
“It was almost like launching a rocket. I am so excited to make it all from scratch to finish,” said Eissa’s schoolmate Mohammed Rashid, 7.
Similar workshops are being conducted throughout the festival – taking place at Expo Centre Sharjah – by Pate D’asso, another Beirut-based company specialising in teaching children the practical applications of modern science.
“We especially want middle school students to spend more time thinking about and engaging with science, especially chemistry and biology, and so we have devised a series of workshops to make it a fun learning for them,” said Sally Daoud, an agricultural engineer from the Lebanese capital, who will be helping break down the complexities of chemistry and biology for 10- to 12-yearolds visiting SCRF through an exciting mix of eight workshops on topics like building a food battery and a digestive system model.
ICE-SKATING SHOW: Watch expert skaters’ dance and twirl gracefully on ice at ‘The Mystical Garden’ – the first-ever ice-skating show brought to the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), whose 13th annual edition is taking place in Expo Centre Sharjah.
With a storyline crafted specifically for today’s gadget-dependent generation, ‘The Mystical Garden’ takes the audience on a musical journey of self-discovery with protagonist Luna, a young girl who comes to visit her grand-parents and realises there is no telecom network in their house.
Her only connection with the outside world is through a shelf filled with books. Even as Luna wonders how people can bear to read books as “all of them seem so boring,” her curiosity compels her to reach out for the one titled The Mystical Garden. Soon she realises the magic of reading books lies in unleashing the imagination of the reader. Luna then watches in amazement as this garden literally comes to life around her.
Representing the power of a child’s imagination through magical-realism, the message of the show is simply, “Read books,” says Ali El Bourgi, Producer, The Mystical Garden, “because, if you are interested in gaming, there is a book for gaming, if you are interested in fashion, you have a book for fashion. So, discover yourself through books because you never know, maybe you will find your future and what you like in books.”
The annual festival is eagerly awaited by children and their parents, many of whom read to their wards at home to instil a love for books and the written word. Such habits have a positive impact on their lives and strengthen the bonding between them.