Environmental lessons with the "Beckum elves"

Children explore the energy of the future

How does electricity actually get into the socket? How can energy be generated without harming the environment? The children at the "Beckumer Wichtel" daycare centre investigated these exciting questions last week.

12 November 2025
Group picture
  • Impressed by the children's commitment and the lively communication of environmental knowledge: (back from left to right) Sina Manche (Kita Beckumer Wichtel), Lisa Reinkemeier (Sparkasse Münsterland Ost), Ludger Jungnitz (Deutsche Umweltaktion e. V.), Max Hegemann (City of Beckum) and Jutta Müller-Knipping (Energieversorgung Beckum).

As part of this year's Environment Day, they had the opportunity - together with Ludger Jungnitz from Deutsche Umweltaktion e. V. - to playfully explore how electricity is generated and what role renewable energies play in this.

On a discovery tour with sun, wind and water
The children experimented independently with illustrative models of various forms of energy, from steam power and photovoltaics to wind and water power. They turned small wind turbines, drove solar cars and observed how movement and heat can be converted into electrical energy. This made it clear how diverse energy can be generated and why renewable energies are so important for climate protection. "Climate protection starts on a small scale - literally," says Lisa Reinkemeier, Deputy Regional Market Manager Beckum-Wadersloh at Sparkasse Münsterland Ost. She explains: "If children understand at an early age why our resources are valuable, they will carry this awareness further into their personal environment. This has a lasting effect far beyond the kindergarten."

Environmental education
Learning about the environment is obviously fun.

The playful approach encourages the children to ask questions, contribute their knowledge and also talk about topics such as climate change and CO₂ emissions. "It's important to us that these topics, which concern us at evb on a daily basis, don't remain abstract. The environmental lessons use fun and games to impart knowledge in a child-friendly way and teach in a very practical way how to use resources responsibly. Encouraging these "aha" moments in even the youngest children is a project close to our hearts. Because one thing is clear: practice makes perfect," explains Jutta Müller-Knipping, press officer at Energieversorgung Beckum (evb). Everyone got involved with enthusiasm and curiosity and learnt along the way how they can save energy and protect the environment in their everyday lives.

The environmental lessons take place in 23 other Beckum kindergartens and are sponsored by Energieversorgung Beckum, Sparkasse Münsterland Ost and the town of Beckum.