SHARJAH, UAE- From deep blue night valleys to scorching yellow deserts, children’s creativity took the form of elaborate illustrations on wooden slice magnets at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), where an experiential workshop taught young participants the art of magnet customisation.
The ‘Wooden Slice Magnet Workshop’ brought together more than 20 children to encourage them to personalise a slice of natural wood with illustrations, quotes, pressed flowers, or themed embellishments.
The children were invited to design 2.4-inch diameter, natural wooden discs with a range of different coloured markers. After designing the wood slice, the participants were guided on the procedure to stick the magnet piece onto the wood slice.
As the young participants coloured and sketched on their assigned wood slices, their personal creative expression took centre stage.
Young participant Khalid made sure to label his magnet with his name and signature. “I drew a picture of my favourite book – ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ on my magnet,” he said.
“I am making a night-time scenery, with colours like blue and white!” said Maria, proudly showing off her finished wooden slice magnet.
Haya, on the other hand, chose to sketch a desert landscape with cacti using a reference. “I like to paint, and I have made a personally customised magnet bookmark in the past. I wanted to draw this scenery on a wooden canvas,” she said.
Ace, who led this session, explained that the workshop was one of the many enrichment activities they conduct at SIBF 2026.
“We want the kids to learn new things, and partake in activities they haven’t done before,” he said.
By the end of the session, each participant had created their own wooden slice magnets to take home, embellishing them with unique illustrations to stick on their personal fridges. The workshop grants children the opportunity to gain a souvenir and a fulfilling experience.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026) runs from November 4 to 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Made of Stories’, with the Sultanate of Oman as Guest of Honour. The fair brings together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing more than 1.7 million titles. Its programme features 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events, with 106 guests from 25 countries.
