Sharjah, 19 April 2018:  Young mechanics attending a workshop on the first day of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, running until April 28 at Expo Centre Sharjah, have been learning the ropes – literally – of engineering basics.

The session, part of the ‘Engineering for Kids’ strand of the festival, explained the concepts of mechanics and its applications in everyday life, helping them to understand the workings of simple machines.

Managing the workshop, Ibrahim Tamim, Robotics Engineer at Dubai’s Fun Robotics – A Mind Fitness Club, said the children are ready, willing and more than able to tackle the tasks.

“We teach a wide range of ages from six-years old right through to university using the primary basis of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. You think the tasks you give to the younger children are very advanced, but their knowledge and the speed they learn is amazing. I genuinely believe that education is advancing and improving at a rapid pace.”

Through assembling model – but working – fishing rods during the workshop, the apprentice mechanics were introduced to the process of gears, pulleys and levers.

“We explain the theory behind the practice, but seeing it in action is where the real understanding comes in and that’s when you see the potential applications in real life,” Ibrahim added.

The hour-long Fun Robotics workshop will be held once a day for the duration of the festival, which is themed ‘Your Future… Just a Book Away’. 

The festival’s events span several programmes, under the main themes of Kids Activities, Cultural Programmes, Cultural Café, Kids' Creative Café, Social Media Café and Cookery Corner. SCRF 2018 also features a series of international theatrical performances like ‘Tuta and Monkey Cheetah’, and the ‘Island of Kids’ Area’ that combine education, fun and entertainment to highlight the values of honesty to young visitors.

A prime highlight of the festival this year is its first ever 3D Book Exhibition, featuring 250 pop-up books from the 3D Book Centre in Forli, Italy. The books have been handpicked by the exhibition curators to represent eight different periods of time. One of SCRF’s mainstays, the Sharjah Exhibition for Children’s Books Illustrations, is featuring 355 artworks by 104 illustrators from 32 countries this year.