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Hop Up Playground
Meet the philosophy of play at Hop Up Playground!
Children are powerful and capable. They are born researchers who, curious as they are, are constantly exploring the world around them. They do this first and foremost through play. It is the most natural form of learning. Children who play create the most innovative inventions and naturally come up with solutions to all kinds of problems. The key word here is autonomy, being in charge of shaping your own ideas.
Space and materials influence children's (play) behaviour. Environments that can be manipulated by children, that change and can be changed, open up a world of possibilities for children. And that is what the Hop Up Playground's large, dynamic, ‘open-ended’ materials offer children. They emerge as powerful researchers and resourceful architects of their own play and learning environment.
Want to know more about Hop Up? Check https://www.hopup.be/
What is the science behind this?
Hop Up Playground is an excellent tool for STEM with preschool and primary school children. It is unfamiliar material for many children that really encourages investigation. Material investigation is an important part of the E in STEM: engineering. What can you do with each element? How does it feel? What does it look like? What does it fit onto? What can it be used for? How can you attach things to each other? Encourage the children to examine the material carefully.
We also offer a large magnet board at Hop Up in Technopolis. There they can brainstorm about what they are going to build, or lay out and refine their plans. Or let them use the board to explain what they have built. That can then be the start of a new design.
Under Examples you will find some design challenges you can give children for this Hop Up on Pluto.
Build a new spacecraft
We landed on Pluto but oh no, the rocket broke down on landing! We do want to travel back to Earth one day. How do we do that? Build a new spacecraft!
What do you need to think about?
How do we find our way in space? We don't want to get lost. And how do we steer?
What can serve as fuel for the rocket?
How do we ensure a soft landing?
Build a shelter
On Pluto, it is very cold and it is always dusk. Will you help build a hut where we can take shelter?
There is no wood or clay on Pluto. So what can we build with? Maybe there are still spacecraft debris or other strange materials?
Can you also cook and sleep in your hut?
How do we make our refuge cosy?
Build a friend
No humans have been on Pluto yet. So there is still a lot to discover! We go in search of life on Pluto. What new life will you discover? Build a new, crazy space creature! Imagine your space creature. What properties does it have?
What can it do that a human can't?
Where does it live?
What does it eat?
How does it move?
How does it sound?
What is it afraid of?
Does your space creature also have a name?
Meet the philosophy of play at Hop Up Playground!
Children are powerful and capable. They are born researchers who, curious as they are, are constantly exploring the world around them. They do this first and foremost through play. It is the most natural form of learning. Children who play create the most innovative inventions and naturally come up with solutions to all kinds of problems. The key word here is autonomy, being in charge of shaping your own ideas.
Space and materials influence children's (play) behaviour. Environments that can be manipulated by children, that change and can be changed, open up a world of possibilities for children. And that is what the Hop Up Playground's large, dynamic, ‘open-ended’ materials offer children. They emerge as powerful researchers and resourceful architects of their own play and learning environment.
Want to know more about Hop Up? Check https://www.hopup.be/
What is the science behind this?
Hop Up Playground is an excellent tool for STEM with preschool and primary school children. It is unfamiliar material for many children that really encourages investigation. Material investigation is an important part of the E in STEM: engineering. What can you do with each element? How does it feel? What does it look like? What does it fit onto? What can it be used for? How can you attach things to each other? Encourage the children to examine the material carefully.
We also offer a large magnet board at Hop Up in Technopolis. There they can brainstorm about what they are going to build, or lay out and refine their plans. Or let them use the board to explain what they have built. That can then be the start of a new design.
Under Examples you will find some design challenges you can give children for this Hop Up on Pluto.
Build a new spacecraft
We landed on Pluto but oh no, the rocket broke down on landing! We do want to travel back to Earth one day. How do we do that? Build a new spacecraft!
What do you need to think about?
How do we find our way in space? We don't want to get lost. And how do we steer?
What can serve as fuel for the rocket?
How do we ensure a soft landing?
Build a shelter
On Pluto, it is very cold and it is always dusk. Will you help build a hut where we can take shelter?
There is no wood or clay on Pluto. So what can we build with? Maybe there are still spacecraft debris or other strange materials?
Can you also cook and sleep in your hut?
How do we make our refuge cosy?
Build a friend
No humans have been on Pluto yet. So there is still a lot to discover! We go in search of life on Pluto. What new life will you discover? Build a new, crazy space creature! Imagine your space creature. What properties does it have?
What can it do that a human can't?
Where does it live?
What does it eat?
How does it move?
How does it sound?
What is it afraid of?
Does your space creature also have a name?