Children explore science with Lava Lamp workshop at SIBF 2025

November 14, 2025 / 4:28 PM

Sharjah 24: Inspired by Thomas M. Willet's novel Lava Lamp, the “Lava Lamps” workshop at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025) encouraged schoolchildren to explore science and creativity. Participants created their own lava lamps to take home, turning them into keepsakes of their stories, memories, and dreams.

Hands-on learning with simple ingredients

Trainers guided the children through the experiment while they wore protective aprons and gloves. Each child received a clear plastic cup half-filled with water and cooking oil, added blue food coloring, and dropped a quarter of a sparkling tablet into the mixture. The tablet caused a lava-like fountain and shimmering blue bubbles to rise through the liquid.

Teaching science through fun

Trainer Bernie Francie explained, “Lava lamps teach children about density and chemical reactions. Water is denser than oil, so it settles at the bottom, while carbon dioxide bubbles rise, creating a lava effect.”

SIBF 2025 celebrates knowledge and imagination

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority under the theme ‘Between You and a Book’, SIBF 2025 runs for 12 days until November 16 at Expo Centre Sharjah, bringing together authors, publishers, and readers from 118 countries.