Teaming up for space fun
PLAYMOBIL's little robot space explorer ROBert was reunited with ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer and ESA Kids mascot Paxi as they teamed up to meet young space fans at ESA's Space Days. Children had an absolute blast at ESA's Space Days, held at the PLAYMOBIL FunPark in Zirndorf, Germany from 30 May to 2 June 2024.
It was a lot of fun to learn about space, thanks to exciting space-themed activities devised with the help of ESA Education. You could build your own rocket, train like an astronaut or experience 'weightlessness' while bouncing on a bungee trampoline. Some of the activities were adapted from the Mission X educational project, which inspires children to exercise and eat healthily, like an astronaut. ESA and the UK Space Agency run this project every year.
ESA's mascot Paxi joined in the fun, too! "It’s wonderful to see children with Paxi. Their faces light up with curiosity, ready to explore the wonders of space and discover the science and technology behind space adventures. It has been a joy to join forces with PLAYMOBIL to inspire young people about space," said Monica Talevi, Head of STEM Learning and Inspiration at ESA.
The highlight of ESA Space Days was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet a real-life astronaut! ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer was the incredibly special guest on the last day and was excitedly (and noisily) greeted by excited space fans.
To everyone's delight, Matthias was joined by his PLAYMOBIL robot friend ROBert, who had visited him on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2022. ROBert had previously teamed up with Matthias and other ESA experts for videos that explained things like how to become an astronaut, how rockets dock with the ISS, or how satellite TV transmissions worked.
Everyone was thrilled to welcome ROBert home to Zirndorf after his adventures in space. Afterwards, Matthias answered the children's questions about space and what it was like to be an astronaut. He also signed autographs for an exceptionally long queue of eager fans.
ESA Space Days was yet another successful highlight of a long and fruitful partnership between ESA and PLAYMOBIL. Together we have been helping children to learn about space through imaginative play. “The work of ESA is fascinating. Through our partnership it has been possible to present important future topics in a playful way and make them tangible even for the youngest space adventurers. We would like to thank Matthias Maurer for inviting children to be a part of it,” said Björn Seeger, Press Officer at PLAYMOBIL.
"Our long-standing partnership with Playmobil continues to inspire children, and their families, about space," said Emmet Fletcher, Head of ESA's Branding and Partnerships Office. "Now we have the 50th anniversaries of both Playmobil and ESA in our sights, we have a wonderful reason to do even more.”
