Six events not to miss at Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival

The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival opens Wednesday, April 22, at the emirate’s Expo Centre under the theme ‘Discover Your City’. Here are our picks six of the best events during the 11-day fair.

1 T.rex: The Killer Question

For the first time in the festival’s history, a 3-D exhibition of dinosaurs – said to be the largest of its kind in the UAE – is being organised in collaboration with the Natural History Museum in the UK, and will showcase life-size, animatronic and static models of the prehistoric creatures, complete with skeleton casts of real fossils and graphic displays.

2 Watch The Wimpy Kid Show

Are you a fan of The Wimpy Kid series of books? The UK’s Alastair Watson brings the best-selling stories to life with activities including The Wimpy Kid Draw-Along and The Wimp Wars! Quiz. The event also includes exclusive clips of author Jeff Kinney talking about the books, his involvement in the films and how he draws the characters.

• Halls 4-8, various days

3 Design jewellery with a Tunisian twist

Create traditional Tunisian jewellery – from necklaces to rings and bracelets – with coral, jade and turquoise and other semi-precious stones.

• Halls 4-6, various days

4 Frost a cake

At the Cake Icing workshop, kids will mix up ingredients (all found at home) to make butter-­cream and sugar-paste icing, and learn how to decorate cakes, cupcakes and cookies.

• Hall 4, various days

5 Catch The Parade

School buses and cars painted with colourful illustrations of Sharjah’s landmarks and monuments will tour the emirate’s spectacular Al Majaz Waterfront. Prizes will be presented to the top three participating schools for best the best designs.

• Various days

6 Hang out at the Creative Kids Cafe

In a cosy, specially designated space, children can discuss their favourite books, and meet other kids who share their love for literature, scientific innovation, sport and art.

• Hall 5, various days

• The seventh edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival runs from April 22 to May 2 at the Expo Centre in Sharjah. Open from 9am to 8pm on weekdays and 4pm to 9m on weekends. Entry is free. Visit scrf.ae for the full schedule of events

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