Sharjah Museums Celebrates Emirati Child Day With Educational, Fun Activities

In celebration of the Emirati Child Day, Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) has extended its educational benefit through a number of fun activities that motivate children to ask questions and encourage their love of history and art.
 
In cooperation with Sharjah police to mark the occasion which falls on March 15 every year, two events were held at the Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn) and Sharjah Maritime Museum.
 
‘Museums Express’, SMA’s initiative that was launched by SMA in January, also took part in the Authority’s Emirati Child Day activities. The 47-passenger bus, which showcases select collections from Sharjah museums, will help children engage in creative thought process.
 
The move came as part of SMA’s belief that museums are not just places to celebrate historic, scientific and artistic collections but are also community centers designed to inform and educate the public, especially children.
 
Two workshops targeted twenty children aged between 8 - 11 years were held at Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn).
 
Pupils were introduced to the traditional Emirati watering wells, their different names, and how water supply was provided in the past during the Water Well workshop.
 
They were also taught how to make miniature wells using clay.
 
For aspiring artists, a workshop on how to use Neem tree leaves in art, was organized at the Sharjah Fort where children collected the leaves and used them along with water and spray colors to make their artworks.
 
Two other workshops for the same age group were held at the Sharjah Maritime Museum.
 
The Oyster Shucking workshop aimed at teaching children about how divers traditionally collected and harvested pearls.
 
Meanwhile, the Al Jallaf workshop focused on the traditional profession of Al Jallaf, which means building ships in the local Emirati dialect.
 
Kids were acquainted to how Emirati boats were once made and what types of wood were used in the process.
 
The Emirati Children's Day was launched by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, SCMC, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, FDF.