About Mars and more at Abu Dhabi Science Festival

Abu Dhabi - Abu Dhabi Science Festival has over 40 interactive workshops for children five years old and above.

Colourful flags around the gates of Mushrif Central Park, nearly a dozen tents dotted on the park's grass and hundreds of excited school children were the signs of the opening of the Abu Dhabi Science Festival (ADSF).
Now in its fifth year, the festival has over 40 interactive workshops for children five years old and above, as well as an interactive exhibition and a science show.
Among the first to enjoy the actions at ADSF was Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development, who inaugurated the festival, taking his time to join the children in some of the workshops.
"The participation of both the public and private sectors in the festival shows commitment towards students, giving them the opportunity to explore and widen their horizon, thus allowing them to look to the future with confidence and pride," Shaikh Nahyan told Khaleej Times.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee, ADSF was designed after Scotland's Edinburgh International Science Festival, one of the world's oldest such festivals.
The activities vary from Lego games to coral reef and oil exploration interactive workshops for the younger students to space exploration and car making workshops.
"Welcome to Mars," smiled Dr. Garry Kerr from the Edinburgh International Science Festival as he opened the doors of the spaceship that landed on Mars.
With the help of the UAE Space Agency, the exploration of Mars Planet was made possible - and fun for children nine years and above.
"Over here we have an astrobiology area, where children learn to distinguish between living and non-living things, and over there we have an astrogeology corner to learn about the geological features of Mars, learning about the possibility of life on Mars," explained Dr. Kerr.
The Mars shuttle was among the ADSF experiences that reminded the Rt. Hon. Donald Wilson, Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, who accompanied Shaikh Nahyan on the inaugural tour, of his city's science festival.
"I recognise parts of Edinburgh International Science Festival at ADSF, but here the festival is much larger," he mentioned.
"Such festivals have the ability to engage people of all ages, attract them into science, and they also help develop science further," he added. While targeting both children of all ages and parents, ADSF is ideal for students between six and 11 years old.
According to Dr. Linda Silver, associate director of Content - Science and Technology Promotion at Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee, a US study proved that six to 11 years old is the ideal age for children to develop a strong interest into a field that would eventually lead to a career path later in life.
"Also, we found that most children get interested in science outside schools, so learning about it in this environment is more effective," she said.
It is the hands-on, interactive and entertaining approach to teaching science, as well as the variety of projects that keep children engaged at ADSF. They could walk into a workshop tent to perform a medical surgery, then into another workshop to launch a rocket or spend some time assembling a car running on hydrogen "fuel". ADSF will continue at Mushrif Central Park - as well as Al Ain Zoo - until November 22.
silvia@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi