Project: Be Mobile and Creative with the Sun

Culture and Technology are Fun!

Our project “Be mobile and creative with the sun” is highly practical. In it, knowledge about solar energy and its applications is conveyed to children in a playful and sensory way.

Children build their own solar cars or solar boats using wood and solar modules and then customize them according to their own ideas. There are no limits to their fantasies. The vehicles should only be able to move with the help of solar energy or light (if it’s too dark).

Our project is interdisciplinary and focuses not only on STEM subjects but also on the field of visual arts.

Throughout the implementation, we place a strong emphasis on the participation and decision-making of the children. Our playful approach provides children with the opportunity to engage with technical and craftsmanship topics in a child-friendly manner.

Workshop Methods:

In our project, we use the following methods:

Experiments: Children conduct experiments with solar cells and learn about their effectiveness. Artistic Design: Children build boats or cars from pre-fabricated components. After completion, the vehicles are individually designed by the children, which may include decorating or painting them. Co-construction/Exploratory Learning: We follow the educational approach of the “Haus der kleinen Forscher” (House of Little Researchers). Children and educators collaboratively shape the learning process. They discover and explore, while building and designing boats or cars, how these move best. What should the construction of a boat be like for it to float well? They try out different materials and shapes to solve this question. Creation of Sustainable Objects: Children build models powered by solar energy, making them sustainable due to their energy efficiency.