On Friday 17 July, the BladeUp project delivered a wind energy outreach activity to all three Reception classes at St Michael's CE VC Primary School in Stoke Gifford. The event was supported by staff and students from Bristol Composites Institute, including PhD students from the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Composites Science, Engineering and Manufacturing.
Using fans, ribbons and bubbles, children explored how moving air can be felt and observed, discovering that wind can push objects and make them move. They then investigated how the same force can move larger objects through examples such as sailboats, before taking on the role of engineers and testing different sail designs on wind-powered cars.
Volunteers helped launch the cars and record the results of each test, while the rest of the class predicted which sail design would travel the furthest and cheered on their favourites as the cars raced across the classroom.
Having seen the power of wind in action, pupils were then introduced to wind turbines and renewable energy. Through videos and models, children learned how wind pushes turbine blades, causing them to spin and generate electricity.
The session concluded with a pinwheel craft activity, where pupils decorated and assembled their own pinwheels before testing them using a large fan. Alongside their completed pinwheels, pupils took home a ribbon wand, University of Bristol stationery and wind turbine-shaped sweets as small mementos of the day.
Sarah Hallworth, Project Manager for BladeUp, said: "One moment that stood out to me was during our 'Feel the Wind' experiment, when a child described the wind as feeling 'soft' and then 'hard' as they moved closer to the fan. It was a wonderful observation.
It was also lovely to see the care the children took decorating their pinwheels, with one pupil even drawing a wind turbine on their design, and the excitement with which they crowded around the fan at the end to test them.
Despite the exceptionally warm weather, the pupils remained engaged and well-mannered throughout the day. They were a credit to the school, and we are very grateful to the teachers and staff at St Michael's for welcoming us."
Gemma Carroll, Foundation Stage Leader at St Michael's Primary School, said: “Our Reception children had a fantastic time taking part in the activities. The hands on experiments and creative activities captured their curiosity and encouraged them to explore how wind can be used to generate energy in a way that was both fun and accessible. It was wonderful to see their excitement as they tested their ideas, made predictions and discovered new concepts through play. We are very grateful to the team and the University of Bristol volunteers for providing such an engaging and memorable experience for our children.”