Children discover art of scent-making at SCRF
The Aroma Journey is part of a vibrant choice of workshops at the 16th edition of SCRF, each designed to nurture young minds beyond the written word. Here, storytelling unfolds not just on the page, but through all the senses.
Led by Serge Gemayel — string artist, educator, and creative force behind Nomad Workshops — children are invited to journey through the scents and stories of everyday ingredients. 'Every ingredient has a distinct taste and smell associated with it,' Gemayel explains, as children inspect different spices on the table. Little hands are encouraged to touch and crush spices such as cinnamon, black peppercorns, cardamom, and cloves, unlocking the intense aromas hidden within seeds and spices that most only encounter in their meals.
The session isn't merely an olfactory adventure. It's an exploration of emotion: how scent can comfort, energise, or calm. 'Chocolate gives a cosy, happy feeling. Honey is warmth — like a hug from grandma. Lavender soothes you to sleep, mango is pure joy, and orange brings a bouncy brightness,' Gemayel tells the children, who nod in agreement, noses wrinkling in delight.
'I love the Cherry Blossom fragrance. I came to this workshop to learn how to make perfumes — I'll try it at home!' says 12-year-old Noor Elsayed, diligently crushing cinnamon sticks into a fine, fragrant powder. Around her, the air is thick with the scent of cinnamon, swiftly becoming the day's most popular note.
Sixteen-year-old Nafesa Farhaana, assisting at the table, prefers cardamom: 'It makes me happy,' she smiles, a sentiment echoed by many as they mix and match their signature blends.
The lesson continues with a dash of science and a touch of creativity: 'Essential oils aren't just for perfumes—they're in soaps and candles, too,' Gemayel says, as the children select their favourite combinations and, with evident pride, decant their personalised perfumes into small glass bottles.
By the workshop's close, each child emerges a perfumer, clutching a bottle of their own creation—part keepsake, part memory, and wholly theirs. The proud show-and-tell that follows is a festival tradition, the joy unmistakable in every wide-eyed grin.
The Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, now in its 16th year at Expo Centre Sharjah, has always championed a holistic approach to childhood development. This year's line-up — free to attend and running until 4 May—offers a rich mix of workshops, performances, and interactive sessions, each crafted to spark curiosity, creativity, and self-expression across the arts and sciences.
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