FerienKinderUni: "We are building the village of the future"

"We're building the village of the future!" - FerienKinderUni in the tropical greenhouse WItzenhausen
With the agricultural economists Ines Fehrmann and Tony Lindenau

Age: 8 - 12 years
Number: max. 18 children
Time: daily from 9.00 - 16.00
Location: Tropical Greenhouse of the University of Kassel, Steinstraße 19, 37213 Witzenhausen
Costs: 100 - 120 €/child according to self-assessment (reduced on request) incl. materials.

Binding registration by 20.10.2023 under 05542-72812 or tropengewaechshaus[at]uni-kassel[dot]de

We all live: we live in a house or in an apartment, together with many people or in a small family, in a high-rise building or in an old half-timbered house, in a small village or in a city, with lots or little space to play.

During the "FerienKinderUni" week, the children are allowed to develop their own visions of living. For five days, the children explore the topic of renewable building and insulation materials, think about how they would like to live and then build their own models. The children decide democratically how the program should be adapted to their wishes.

Monday is all about exploring how we would like to live. What do we need? What should a village look like in which we feel comfortable and what should our houses look like? The children look at how people live around the world, what possibilities and forms there are, and plan their first projects in teams. There are some very realistic problems to solve, as some building materials are not always available in unlimited quantities everywhere.

On Tuesday, the group deals with the building materials: should the model be made of stone or clay, wood, straw or old plastic? And how do I make sure I don't freeze in winter? Practical building and insulation tests are just as important as thinking about how environmentally friendly our house and our village should be.

On Wednesday, the teams plan their own house projects and discuss with each other what their (model) village should look like. In between the practical work, there is time for an inspiring walk to explore Witzenhausen: From house and garden designs to street planning and much more. What opportunities does a child actually have if they have good ideas on how things can be improved?

It doesn't work without mutual help: on Thursday, the children present their projects to each other to discuss suggestions for improvement. Here, topics range from the implementation of craftsmanship to questioning the building materials used. It is also about designing the houses and the village in such a way that heat or heavy rain do not become a problem.

On Friday, the young master builders and urban planners complete their projects and set up the model village.

Between the research, planning and building tasks, there is still time for puzzles, stories and games. To keep up with the strenuous "construction work", we prepare a small meal together at lunchtime.

Children should wear sturdy clothing suitable for the weather.

Further information
Tropengewächshaus Universität Kassel
Steinstraße 19, 37213 Witzenhausen
Tel.: 05542-981231 Email: tropengewaechshaus[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
Homepage: www.tropengewaechshaus.de