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The experience featured seven interactive stations, including creative workshops, educational activities, and augmented reality content enabling children to engage with the story’s characters and planets in an immersive way.
Enchanted Gardens focused on children’s literature, celebrating iconic works from around the world, with the inaugural edition held under the theme of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, followed by a second edition inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
The third edition of HoW’s Enchanted Gardens, organised under the sponsorship of the UAE Board on Books for Young People, highlighted the global significance of The Little Prince as one of the world’s most widely read literary works, translated into 600 languages and dialects, reflecting its lasting appeal across generations and cultures.
Building on this cross-cultural theme, House of Wisdom collaborated with Alliance Française–Sharjah to create an experience for visitors that highlights the artistic value of The Little Prince, while exploring the historical context in which the work was written and the author’s journey. Alliance Française–Sharjah contributed to fostering intercultural dialogue by promoting the French language and culture and by strengthening the Francophone presence.
Marwa Al Aqroubi, Executive Director of HoW, said: “The Little Prince is at once an educational, intellectual, imaginative and literary compendium. It gives children knowledge of friendship, responsibility, and empathy, expands their imagination, and trains them to think. From this perspective, the new edition of the festival seeks to translate the beauty of world literature into live, interactive experiences that combine reading with art and modern technologies, transforming the story into a space for play, discovery and learning, bringing them closer to the word of books, because literature is a wide gateway through which young minds enter a world of shared values across cultures, nurturing curiosity and a love of knowledge from an early age.
The festival included a curated programme of creative workshops delivered in French and English, organised in collaboration with Alliance Française–Sharjah. These included workshops that invited children to paint artworks inspired by the world of The Little Prince, design star-themed T-shirts, and create framed art pieces based on the story’s characters and planets.
The experience also included a range of immersive interactive zones, such as the Inventor’s Atelier, which blended art and discovery; the Planet of Imagination, dedicated to drawing and colouring; the Whispers of the Snake Maze, featuring puzzle-based challenges; and The Merchant’s Market, offering story-inspired souvenirs.
Additional highlights include the Planet of the Grown-Ups, designed for shared activities between parents and children, and the journey concluded at the Sunset Cafe, which offered a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.
At the Asteroid Stage, visitors enjoyed a diverse programme of live performances and interactive sessions throughout the festival. These included immersive storytelling experiences presented by UAEBBY, taking children on imaginative journeys across planets while emphasising friendship and wonder.
The programme also featured African-inspired drumming workshops by Dubafrique, designed for families, alongside musical and dance performances that blended movement with creative storytelling, as well as a drama performance and spoken-word sessions that encouraged children to explore rhythm, poetry, and creative expression through voice, movement, and participation.
By merging literature with the arts and interactive technology, Enchanted Gardens, The Little Prince encouraged children to read, imagine, and engage emotionally with acclaimed works from world literature. This innovative approach reflected the House of Wisdom’s belief in the essential role of children’s literature in enhancing their linguistic, intellectual, and creative skills. The experience also strengthened children’s character and deepened their understanding of diverse cultures, while aligning the values espoused in global literature with Emirati traditions.
During the closing ceremony, Amina Mohammed, who is in charge of Training, Research, and Events at RUWAD, celebrated the achievements of several student groups. The event recognized three groups of younger students, aged 10 to 15, from basic education levels. These groups were involved in projects titled Bee Sting Project, Cookies Bloom, and Magnet Lab.
Additionally, three groups from high school and university students, aged 16 to 21, were also honored for their creative projects, which included Simple Sip, Al Rawnak, and Sugar Bakery.
Furthermore, three groups of young girls from Sajaya Girls of Sharjah, along with some school students, received recognition for their efforts in projects called Crafted by Stars, Alam Al Rawnak, and J&M Design. This celebration highlighted the hard work and creativity of students at various educational levels.
The ceremony also witnessed the presentation of certificates of appreciation to all student projects and groups in recognition of their active participation in the event.
Amina Mohammed, who is in charge of Training, Research, and Events at the Foundation, shared her appreciation for all the student groups that eagerly took part in this year's initiative. She highlighted how these students showcased their innovative entrepreneurial projects, contributing their talent and creativity to help promote a culture of entrepreneurship. This initiative aimed to guide student projects into real-world business experiences, preparing them to start successful ventures that could positively impact their communities and contribute to their country's economic growth.
She also thanked all the organizations and individuals who supported the event, especially the Districts Affairs Department. A special shout-out went to the project participants who played a big role in running the event, along with the organizing and evaluation committees who worked tirelessly during the initiative. Amina was grateful for the visitors who showed a strong interest in the students' projects and expressed their desire to support this promising group.
During the event, the student projects generated a total of AED 180,000 in sales. When looking back from 2018 to 2025, the combined sales revenue from all participants reached AED 972,837.
This year’s initiative featured 21 different training and fun workshops, where children and students learned skills like making fish decorations, wrapping gifts, painting pottery, decorating cakes, crafting clay models, creating bracelets, traditional weaving, and making Kinex dolls. The foundation’s members who helped run these workshops came from several projects, including Laughter and Play, Tara Bit, Wheat Bran, Toys and Colors, and Fli.
It's also important to note that the initiative showcased 60 entrepreneurial projects from 120 students of both genders, representing various schools, universities, and colleges throughout the country.
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