Sharjah24: Cheers, laughter, and high-fives filled the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) 2025 as children ditched books and pens to take on the “Arena Warriors” challenge - a high-energy workshop inspired by a host of old school combat and non-combat sports.
Organised by YouSkilled Home, the action-packed session featured a dynamic mix of physical activities, including a classic tug of war and the crowd-favourite Ninja Rush – a colourful yet challenging obstacle course designed to test speed, coordination, and courage.
The workshop encouraged kids to move their bodies, build teamwork, and challenge themselves in a safe and playful environment.
“Fitness can be interesting – not just for performance or success,” said YouSkilled Home's Bealrussion physical fitness instructor Maxim Papliauko, who supervised the session. “Games like these help build lasting habits by making physical activity enjoyable and that’s exactly what we want to inculcate in the young children – fitness as a habit.”
For 11-year-old Indian student Faizee Zayan, the experience was more than just a workout. “I didn’t know exercise could be this fun,” he said, catching his breath after finishing the tug-of-war. His competitor in the matchup was Abu Yousaf, 12, from Afghanistan, who was equally thrilled: “It felt like being in a movie. I want to come again!”
Parents and organisers alike praised the workshop for promoting healthy movement and discipline in an engaging format that kept kids on their toes – quite literally. “This is exactly the kind of hands-on learning we love to see at SCRF,” said one of the facilitators. “It’s about fun, yes, but also about developing life skills through action and its success lies in the turnout we have been seeing every day.”
The workshop will continue to take place throughout the rest of the 12-day festival, which concludes on May 4. For more information, visit www.scrf.ae.
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