JEDDAH: A Saudi festival aimed at boosting children’s educational and scientific skills in readiness for the new school year, has been hailed a success. Organizers of the “Back to School” event held at the Red Sea Mall, a leading shopping and entertainment destination in Jeddah, said this year’s edition had offered a record amount of activities and seen increased retailer participation. The fun and entertainment activities, staged in the mall’s fountain area and designed to appeal to children’s imaginations and dreams, included four sections, namely scientific experiments, physical activities, manual skills and discoveries.   Shops supported the festival, which ran from Aug. 15 to 31, by offering prizes, gifts, and rewards. Every participating child was given a free meal, while their mothers received a complimentary massage and facial skincare session from a specialized outlet. Red Sea Mall General Manager Al-Rayan Gaddouri said: “We were pleased to host the “Back to School” event. We believe in empowering children and promoting their skills for competition, discovery, and initiative-taking. “The activities were designed to build children’s educational and scientific capacities and develop their physical and mental skills in a fun and entertaining way, helping them look forward to a new school year.”FASTFACT 6m - More than 6 million public school students around the Kingdom went back to school on Sunday for the start of the academic year’s first term. 147m - The Education Ministry printed and distributed 147 million textbooks before the start of the term. Omar Al-Maghazwi, Red Sea Mall marketing officer, thanked the retailers that took part in the festival and said: “Our common goal is to keep our shoppers and visitors entertained and develop children’s mental and physical abilities through modern scientific techniques and educational methods.” The festival tested children through various games and challenges. The science section quizzed youngsters on chemistry and physics, while physical activities included fun and mental challenges featuring math and geometry. Training workshops in the manual skills section invited children to use their imagination to make soap and candles and use salt, flour, water, wood, and other materials to create shapes and colors. The discovery section introduced children to the world of plants, insects, and human anatomy, and provided health and medical information on dental care and the discovery of space through the use of astronomical tools.