All eyes are now turning to Sharjah as the 13 th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
(SCRF) opened its doors today. The annual festival is eagerly awaited by children and their parents,
many of whom read to their wards at home to instill a love for books and the written word. Such habits
have a positive impact on their lives and strengthen the bonding between them.
What makes SCRF such an appealing destination for parents and children? What do they look
forward to doing at the festival each year?
Buy books: SCRF lets children feast their eyes on a sea of books, leaf through its colourful pages,
and persuade their parents to buy a handful. A world of imagination opens as they hop from one
pavilion to another. “Every year, SCRF helps find a way for stories to enter the hearts of children and
elevate the status of books and reading in their lives. As a mother, it also makes me believe that the
screen hasn’t won yet,” said a Dubai-based mother of two toddlers.
A working mother from Ajman concurs that reading has changed her life for the better, and she hopes
her two boys will benefit the same way. “Cultural festivals like SCRF stimulate children to take up
books and reading, and I want to catch them young,” she said.
Workshops and storytelling: Participating in the fun workshops and activities is high on the agenda
of most children and their parents. A couple of Sharjah-based mums who bring their children to SCRF
every year remembered the fun they had at story readings and workshops in past editions. According
to them, these sessions also encourage children to read more, experiment with interactive puzzles
and activity books apart from enjoying peer interactions.
Mascots and gifts: As a dedicated children’s event, SCRF helps young patrons explore the place in
a safe manner. In true festival spirit, they can interact with the mascots and other literary and
costumed characters who appear to have just stepped out of storybooks. This precious time away
from gadgets and cartoons is rewarded further when they receive gift hampers or take home their
creative efforts at workshops.
All this, available for free, makes SCRF a spectacular12-day fun ride for children and young adults!
SCRF 2022 is running its course until May 22 in Expo Centre Sharjah, and is open from 9am – 8pm
on weekdays, 9am – 9pm on weekends, and 4pm – 9pm on Friday.