Fabius holiday games at the SWG

Once again this summer, children aged six to twelve were able to visit the Queckborn waterworks as part of the Fabius holiday games. Between 8 and 25 July, over 300 children accepted the invitation from Stadtwerke Gießen.

Clean drinking water, fresh from the tap: what we take for granted remains out of reach for many people around the world. This makes it all the more important that children learn at an early age how precious the number one foodstuff is and how it reaches the many thousands of households. As part of the Fabius holiday games organised by Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG), the participants traditionally visit the waterworks in Queckborn - and this year is no exception. The educational and entertaining excursion is an integral part of the holiday programme of the city of Giessen and the surrounding municipalities. On a total of twelve dates, a team from SWG welcomed visitors aged between six and twelve. This time, more than 300 children accepted SWG's invitation.

Learning and understanding through play

The young guests were treated to a colourful mix of fun and entertainment - and of course lots of interesting facts about water. The eventful morning began with a film in which Fabius and the clown Ichmael are out and about in the waterworks. The two explain in an understandable way why clean drinking water is so important, where it is obtained and how it is treated before it bubbles out of the tap at home. If you would like to watch the film yourself, it is available online at www.fabius-entdeckertour.de along with a number of other videos. Of course, the children also learnt that SWG is not only responsible for water extraction and supply, but also for Giessen's local public transport and swimming pools, among other things.

Learning through play

The fun part of the excursion to Queckborn, which is an integral part of the programme, also offered plenty of opportunity to learn interesting facts. In a playful and child-orientated way, of course: for example, in a pantomime game about the careful use of the precious commodity of water. The children also learnt about how to reduce the pollution of drinking water. And at the highlight, the ever-popular obstacle course, the girls and boys were able to put their skills to the test. The aim was to bring a container filled with water from A to B, overcoming various obstacles while spilling as little as possible.

The SWG also organised the final event in the traditional and tried-and-tested manner: there were sausages, sandwiches and fruit for refreshment as well as a small gift - consisting of a stylish sports bag, a practical drinking bottle and a small ball - for everyone.