Learning Through Doing at Olkiluoto's Science Camps

This summer, four TVO Science and Technology Camps were once again organised in Olkiluoto for primary school-aged children.

Now running for its third decade, the annual camp includes a variety of experiments designed to introduce children to chemical and physical phenomena that can also be observed in everyday life. During the camp week, participants explore topics such as the properties of water, decomposition and neutralisation reactions, as well as electricity and magnetism. Using familiar household substances in the experiments makes the reactions approachable and easy to repeat independently, encouraging children to explore and investigate scientific phenomena on their own.

Learning through experimentation and discovery

During the week-long camp, children get to carry out experiments themselves, many of which they would otherwise encounter only later in school as teacher demonstrations. This summer’s favourites included the popular elephant toothpaste experiment, which demonstrates the effect of a catalyst on a decomposition reaction, and the visually striking lava lamp, which is based on differences in density. On warm summer days, water rockets also brought excitement and a refreshing splash to Raunola, where the camps are held.

Year after year, the camps continue to attract strong interest. There are consistently more applicants than available places, and children travel to Olkiluoto not only from Satakunta but also from more distant parts of Finland. Feedback collected from participants highlights a growing interest in science and a desire to repeat the experiments independently at home.

For now, another science camp summer has come to an end, but next summer will once again open the doors to a new group of enthusiastic young scientists.

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Text: Jessi-Julia Salonen and Venla Lehto
Photos: Tapani Karjanlahti