Smell, touch, hands-on experience - the concept behind the new tours at the Autostadt is very much focused on the needs of young researchers and explorers aged between five and eleven. The themes for the tours include sustainability, electrical power and time travel. "The aim is to encourage kids to get actively involved and convey the content of the tours in a child-friendly way that is easy to follow," explains Dr. Michael Pries. The Head of the Autostadt Education Department is working hard to make sure the new KidsTours are more than just a bit of fun for young children. "The topics covered are centered around the mobility curriculum, which has been adopted as an official element of the UN World Decade. The content of the KidsTours is based on education for sustainable development and places a great deal of emphasis on introducing the children to the various focal points of the tours in as fun a way as possible," says Dr. Pries.
There are twelve different KidsTours in total that deal with all types of mobility and give the children the opportunity to find out what it’s like to be a scientist, designer and material researcher. For example, young visitors on the "Powered Up" tour get to know the key basics of electromobility that are involved in building a small electric motor. Children exploring the topic of water will find out how much of it there is in the world, what it’s used for and how this vital resource can be preserved. Budding artists who want to put their creative talents to the test will enjoy the "Jeder ist ein Designer" (Everyone's a Designer) tour. The tour that runs through the Zeithaus museum is very literally hands-on, with children given gloves so they can appreciate the beauty of automotive treasures not just by sight but by touch, too. What's more, they can also enjoy a spot of "Automobile Time Travel", tracking down milestones in the history of the automobile with a suitcase full of clues. Finally, the young researchers can check out the pavilions that showcase the various Volkswagen brands and learn about the history of the Group, which has faced some pretty big challenges recently. Who knows, perhaps the youngsters themselves will soon be helping to overcome these challenges based on the “sustainability” values presented on these tours?
All the latest information on KidsTours, which are included in the admission price for the Autostadt, can be found online at https://www.autostadt.de/visitor-information/tickets-for-visitors , where you can also book reservations for the 30-minute tours.
