Attraction of the Month, Denmark
Learning by exploring and playing Situated on the dinosaur-shaped island of Als in Denmark, Universe Science Park is a place of discovery for families with children of all ages. Here they can explore all the joys of the scientific world through playing and interacting with the attractions and characters in the park. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Universe
they are doing so. “Learning through play is a vital part of growing up. It’s so much fun seeing how the children interact with everything we have in the park. You can see their eyes light up as soon as they start to explore,” says Kirsten Veje, PR and event manager at Universe.
Building your own rocket might seem like something reserved only for NASA employees, but at Universe you can build it, fly it and try to beat the record for the longest flight of the day. Before you do that, you might enjoy a quick trip on a Segway, meet the park’s resident, Pixeline, or explore the geological wonders of the Blue Cube.
A science park
Universe creates a fun environment where children can learn about science and the planet, without even realising
Jørgen Mads Clausen, the director of Danfoss, had long had a wish to create a science park that would get kids involved in science and innovation from an early
86 | Issue 90 | July 2016
age. In 2000, when he went to the EXPO in Hannover and saw Iceland’s Blue Cube, both he and his wife were sold, quite literally. The 28-metre-tall Blue Cube shows the geological wonders of Iceland, including an ice walkthrough and a spewing geyser. They decided to bring the huge box back with them and thus the foundation for Universe was put in place. Since then the park has grown and developed to fulfil Clausen’s ultimate wish of creating a space where you are allowed to pull things apart, put them back together and see science happening at your fingertips. “The park is a place for exploring. We have the permanent attractions and throughout the year we have about 30 event days including music
