The opening day of the 12^th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival was abuzz with the excited voices of girls and boys of all ages as they engaged in several hands-on activities lined up for the young ones at the dedicated Kids Hall.

Children, aged 6 to 9, gained a fun introduction to the world of robots by fashioning one out of simple materials such as craft paper and kitchen sponge at ‘The Future Limit is Your Imagination’ workshop.

Following the basic instructions of ‘fold’ and ‘stick’, children glued pre-cut strips of yellow and green craft paper before interweaving these one over the other which, when pulled out formed the arms and legs of the adorable robot.

The simple activity that emphasised good eye-hand coordination saw children stick different sizes of kitchen sponge to shape the body, while googly eye stickers and colourful pompoms were used to decorate the face. A bright orange pipe cleaner was twisted into innovative shapes to form the antenna.

It is not artistic skills alone that come into play in the fun project, as children also develop fine motor skills and improve their dexterity and agility when engaging in arts and crafts activities, said the instructor leading the session.

A young mother, whose 5-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, were eager participants in the robot building activity, said her children were excited to attend SCRF 2021 “to learn new things, get out of the house and meet other children, and do something fun. SCRF is a great platform to nurture their creative spirits and give free rein to their imagination.”

SCRF 2021 will showcase 537 specialised activities for children of all ages as well as adults during its 11-day run at the Expo, and will be led by 32 authors from 15 countries, artists, illustrators and experts. The largest and the most important festival of its kind in the region, SCRF is designed to instill a lifelong love for books in children and to pave the path of innovation and creativity for future generations of the UAE.