Mount Pleasant Eco Park Inventors Workshop
At the very end of the summer holidays, we challenged the young people of Cornwall to get inventing at the spectacular Mount Pleasant Eco Park.
Children of all ages, campers and locals alike, joined us in one of the many unique spaces onsite, where we asked them to think up an invention to save the planet! The workshop, led by our Design Lead Ellie Birkhead, encouraged the little inventors to consider their impact on the planet and what we can do to live in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way.
If you would like some inspiration to get kids inventing to save the environment, check out our free Resource Packs!
Mount Pleasant Eco Park in Cornwall is spread across 42 acres of organic farmland. It boasts a range of indoor and outdoor spaces, a campsite, you can even hire its unique spaces for events and workshops. There is a growing space for local gardeners and the Park is powered by the onsite wind turbine and solar power. The site is a hallmark of community and sustainability.
For one summer evening, it was host to a Little Inventors workshop. The free session came at the end of the summer holidays for the children that attended. It got their brains into gear by imagining and creating, warming them up for going back to school.
The workshop took place in the aptly named Green Room, where visitors were invited in for some shade from the sun and some serious creative inspiration. Families could drop in at any point during the workshop and there was never a lull in the line of inventors who were raring to get making!
The theme of our workshop was in tandem with the Park’s ecological values. We asked kids to invent something to save the planet, encouraging them to consider important topics like climate change and animal conservation. Allowing the children to access these larger issues through invention helps them to consider their own impact on the world and identify how small steps can lead to big changes. During the workshop, the children’s passion for the planet was clear in abundance, and the unique and fresh ideas brought to the table did not disappoint.
One inventor thought up snorkelling gear for elephants which would allow them to see ocean animals! Another made a machine to clean the ocean that was powered by solar energy. We even saw entirely new animals being created that could protect other wildlife. The ideas were not only original (and often hilarious!), they were thoughtful, conscientious. The children were able to grasp possible solutions to the problems our environment faces. They could also then connect the value of environmentally friendly efforts with the steps taken by the Eco Park to operate sustainably.
Ellie Birkhead, Design Lead at Little Inventors, conducted the workshop. She had a blast working with lots of Cornwall's talented young minds, "campers and locals alike joined us for an earth-themed workshop. Energy, creativity, and ideas were buzzing, helped by the wonderful indoor-outdoor space we were able to use at the Eco Park. We had some amazing drawers come to the workshop who were able to convey their incredible planet protecting ideas on paper. Thank you to all who joined us!"
The children were over the moon to see the ideas they had put time and effort into displayed on the wall. The sense of accomplishment on their faces when they finish drawing and describing their idea is something we see time and time again. We ended up with a solid collection of ideas to care for and heal our world.
Thank you to Mount Pleasant Eco Park for accommodating us and to everyone who attended the workshop. Well done to all of you little inventors who worked to help save the planet!
