The 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) turned into an exciting playground for curious young inventors on Friday as they learnt all about combining art and science to build their own prototypes of LED-lit mini robots.

Guided through the basics of electrical circuits and LEDs, young participants explored creative engineering in a fun, interactive environment as part of a workshop titled ‘Glowing Robots’ conducted by Bassam Wehbe and his team at Art Et Spectacle Paris.

“This workshop brings together imagination and STEM learning, letting each child create something unique,” said the 32-year-old Lebanese who’s attending his sixth SIBF this year with his team at Art Et Spectacle Paris, a company he co-founded with partner Sarah Mezher in collaboration with Room 94 to impart such special skills-based training to young children.

“Living in a modern tech-driven world, we love guiding kids to create with their hands. This workshop lets them craft their own glowing robots from paper and LEDs, making a unique friend in every session. Each workshop we hold also includes storytelling, colors, and creativity, ensuring art feels accessible and enjoyable for all.”

Using simple tools each attendee carved out their own self-styled robots replete with their own distinct functionality and most importantly a characteristic glow.

Egyptian siblings Amina and Fahad Amgad said they enjoyed creating characters ‘out of nothing’. “I love making robots! Mine even glows, and I want to make more after this,” said eight-year-old Amina, a Year 3 student of Cloud British Private School in Sharjah.

Meanwhile her elder brother Fahad, a Year 6 student of the same school, said: “Sometimes it’s amazing to see what you can achieve with your bare hands. A while back all I had was a piece of paper, some pencils and LED lights. Now I have a robot that glows back at me.”

Fellow attendee Amal Fathima of India loved the fact that she has a takeaway from the SIBF. “I learnt a lot of things today including drawing shapes to create robots. But I also have something that I can keep with me forever – a small toy as a remembrance that I was there,” said the 12-year-old grade six student of Sharjah’s Pace international school.

The team at Art Et Spectacle Paris will be conducting as many as eight workshops – each comprising at least six sessions – throughout the 12-day annual event being organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) at the Sharjah Expo Centre until November 17.