Malta’s first ecopark for children has opened its doors in Attard, hosting an interactive flooring that in Europe can only be found in Germany. 

Targeting those aged two to 10, with an area specifically for autistic children, the park is fully sustainable through solar, wind and kinetic energy created by the children themselves. A set of stationary bicycles can light up a whirlpool, while bright mushrooms light up when children walk on them. 

Located within the President’s Kitchen Garden, the park is equipped with play structures that demonstrate basic scientific principles to children, and any extra energy feeds the site’s electricity grid.

Solar energy, meanwhile, feeds into what are known as smart benches, which can power electric equipment, provide Wi-Fi hotspots and also weather information.

The €800,000 project by the Office of the President and the Energy Ministry, has also seen the installation of a system that collects rainwater to be used for the garden’s plants and trees. 

Permanent Secretary at the Energy Ministry Anthony Gatt said he hoped the equipment would help children understand how energy could be produced through sustainable sources and not just power stations.

For President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the ecopark was a dream come true. She commended the energy and finance ministries for their contribution, noting that such projects needed political will to kick off. 

“The project was the last gem in the necklace that we created over the past five years, where children took a central role,” the President told those present for the launch. 

The event also marked the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognised play as a right.