Delicately balancing beautiful bouquets in their hands, young children file out of the Flower Arrangement workshop at the ongoing 41st Sharjah International Book Fair with a soft smile on their lips and an irrepressible glow in their eyes. 

“The kids are happy; all the arrangements they have made look good. Children are always attracted to flowers because there is a strong relationship between nature and kids,” says Assaad Damen, the workshop instructor.

Designed for children 8 years and above, each 45-minute session gives them the opportunity to exercise choice. They decide the colour of the flowers they want to use and how they would like to arrange them. “We also teach them how green leaves give a glow and volume to the bouquet, and how to arrange flowers symmetrically within a particular shape whether spread out, like a balloon, tall or short, the arrangement should have balance,” Damen adds. 

The session also imparts a few practical tips on how to use foam sponge to hold the stems which help flowers to stay fresh for a longer time. This also makes it easier for children to carry the fragrant bouquets they have just created, back home with them. 

Under the imaginative theme of, ‘Spread the Word,’ the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is hosting over 400 literary events this year till November 13, 2022. The cultural extravaganza, which is free for all to attend, is being held at Expo Centre Sharjah.