Dubai summer camps aim to strengthen children's relationship with Emirati heritage

The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) will host summer camps in Al Shindagha Museum and Etihad Museum next month.

The camp for children aged 8 to 12 years aims to give wide spaces for creativity, developing children’s skills and enriching their knowledge. This aligns with the authority’s efforts to create a sustainable creative ecosystem that supports and empowers young talent, inspires future generations, and strengthens their relationship with Emirati heritage.

The Young Adventurers’ Summer Camp at Al Shindagha Museum under the theme ‘A Journey from the Land to the Sea’ over two weeks, the first from July 17 to 21 and the second from July 24 to 28. The camp offers participants the opportunity to explore Emirati heritage and learn about the history of Dubai and the UAE.

Throughout the camp in Al Shindagha Museum, children will dive into an adventurous heritage-rooted journey. They will learn about the traditional profession of pearl diving and extraction methods, which has been a source of livelihood for Dubai residents for decades. They will also learn about the details of the local marine environment and the traditional professions and crafts in which the people of the coast worked. Children will follow their desert adventures by understanding and interacting with camels and they will fly high with falcons and hear about their worlds.

Etihad Museum will host The Explorer Summer Camp organised by Dubai Culture for two weeks, the first from July 10 to 14 and the second from July 17 to 21. The camp is an educational expedition full of fun and cultural activities that enable children to be educated about the storied history of the UAE’s union, the most prominent events witnessed from 1968 to 1972, and the tales of our founding fathers, in addition to allowing them to imagine the country’s future.

Within the Etihad Museum programme, which revolves around the idea of exploration, children will be able to travel back in time to 1968, where they can explore differences in the geography of the seven emirates from the past to the present using interactive and engaging tasks that focus on the idea of time travel and what life was like here then. They will attempt to embody the story of the union, its key notions and everything related to it, and they will also be trained in designing museum tours.

ALSO READ:

• Dubai: Young gamers, some just 3 years old, battle it out at mega e-sports festival

• What it's like to get a Wes Anderson education, from 'Rushmore' to 'Asteroid City'

• Eid Al Adha holidays in UAE: Got over Dh1,000 to spend for long weekend? 9 destinations, experiences to splurge on

Abdalla Al Obeidli, acting director of Al Shindagha Museum, stressed the importance of the summer camps. “Through the Young Adventurers’ Summer Camp, we seek to introduce future generations to the richness of the Emirati heritage and the importance of safeguarding it, which enhances his presence in their conscience and contributes to deepening their relationship with the national identity. The camp’s programme includes a variety of educational and cultural workshops and activities related to the local marine and desert environments. It combines the originality inspired by these environments and modernity that reflects Dubai's spirit.”

Abdulla Alfalasi, director of the Etihad Museum, affirmed that the summer camps are ideal destinations to attract children, as they help them develop their intellectual skills and enhance their ability to assume responsibility and build social relationships, adding: “Through The Explorer Summer Camp, we seek to discover children's talents and capabilities and motivate them to be creative through a series of innovative workshops and activities inspired by the idea of the union, and the accompanying talks and signing of treaties that led to the union of the UAE. The camp enriches their knowledge and creativity by training them to tell stories using arts and crafts. It also contributes to developing their skills in being tour guides and offers methods of managing and organising tours, which enhances their self-confidence.”

All the activities within the summer camps organised by the authority are presented in both Arabic and English. They are held under the supervision of a group of specialists and experts in heritage. They also reflect Dubai Culture's commitment to providing an innovative educational environment in its museums to develop life skills and hone children’s creative skills.

• UAE
• Dubai