Sharjah:Young students had the opportunity to craft their own cuddly cats at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), through a hands-on workshop designed to introduce them to the art of making weighted soft toys.
According to Sharjah 24, the workshop, titled 'Weighted Hug Buddy Build Your Own Comfort Creature,' brought together more than 20 children aged 8–10. During the session, participants selected pre-sewn fabric animal shells and filled them with plastic pellets to achieve the desired weight, learning about the calming effects of weight on the nervous system.
The workshop allowed children to engage in a sensory experience exploring different textures, as they sealed and squeezed their colorful cat-shaped creations. Fatima, one of the SIBF collaborators, noted that the activity satisfied the children's creative urges, leaving them with a comforting end result.
Mernie, an organizer of the session, highlighted the workshop's goal to encourage children to explore creative crafts and foster healthy interaction. By the session's end, each child had a personalized cat-shaped hug buddy to take home, along with the experience of experimenting with materials and interacting with peers.
The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) organizes SIBF 2026, which features 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing over 1.7 million titles. The 12-day event includes 1,500 activities such as literary discussions, author interactions, workshops, and performances.