KITA21 Award for Kita Mühle: How Our Little Energy Heroes Save Electricity

The award at a glance: Our Kita Mühle in Wandsbek was awarded KITA21 status on 13 October 2026 – for the first time and at Level 1. It was recognised for its project "Little Energy Heroes Think Big: Less Consumption, More Awareness – Our Contribution to the Future". The children found out which devices need electricity, experienced an electricity-free day and, as energy detectives, went hunting for energy guzzlers. Saving energy has since become a firm part of everyday life at the Kita.

What actually happens when you pull the plug? For Kita children, electricity is simply there – the light switches on, the dishwasher runs, the music box plays. Realising that there is energy behind all this, which has to be generated and isn't available in unlimited supply, is a big discovery. The children at our Kita Mühle spent an entire project exploring exactly that. And now they have been recognised for it.

A Special Day for Kita Mühle

On 13 October 2026, the new KITA21 Kitas were honoured at the GLS Bank in Hamburg's city centre. 26 Kitas from Hamburg applied this year, and 24 received the award – including three of our Kitas. Besides Kita Mühle, these are our Kita Mühlenhof right next door and Kita Treudelberg in Lemsahl-Mellingstedt.

For Kita Mühle, it is the first KITA21 award – we are very proud of the team and the children. The Kita receives a certificate and a plaque for the building. And because the award belongs first and foremost to the children, KITA21 also provides templates for medals and "Future Shaper ID cards" that can be handed out to the little energy heroes.

What Is KITA21?

KITA21 is an initiative of S.O.F. Save Our Future – Umweltstiftung. It recognises Kitas that bring Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into their everyday routines – in other words, that enable children to understand connections and to do something themselves for a good future. The process is under the patronage of Carola Veit, President of the Hamburg Parliament.

The award is granted in several levels. For Level 1, among other things, a Kita must carry out a project lasting at least four weeks, and at least one staff member must have attended a KITA21 basic training course. The level is valid for one year, after which the Kita can apply again – including for a higher level.

We explain in detail what ESD means and why it already belongs in the Kita in our guide ESD in the Kita.

The Project: Little Energy Heroes Think Big

The application grew out of the monthly focus themes that we work with in all Stadtküken Kitas. They are closely linked to the KLIMAfuchs project of the S.O.F. Umweltstiftung. Kita Mühle took on the topic of energy – and brought the whole team, all the children and their families on board.

This is how the children discovered energy:

With electricity or without? In sorting games, the children grouped devices by whether they work with electricity or without. It quickly becomes clear how much of our everyday life is plugged into a socket.
Electricity in motion: In a movement game, the children acted out the electrical circuit and experienced with their own bodies how electricity flows.
Blitzi: A character named Blitzi, whom the children could identify with, accompanied them through the project.
The electricity-free day: On an electricity-free day, the children experienced what everyday life at the Kita feels like without electricity – an experience you don't forget quickly.

[!FACT] The jury particularly highlighted that Kita Mühle did not just make energy a topic, but that the children and team also took action. The documentation made clear that the staff have internalised the concept of Education for Sustainable Development and were able to observe changes in practice.

What Remains: Saving Energy as Part of Everyday Life

A project comes to an end at some point – a good habit doesn't. That's why Kita Mühle has created lasting structures that stay:

The energy duty: A regular duty makes sure that no energy is wasted in everyday Kita life.
The energy detectives: As detectives, the children track down energy guzzlers.
Fixed energy-saving rules: Rules agreed on together make saving a matter of course.

This is exactly what KITA21 is about: sustainability not as a one-off activity, but as part of Kita life. You can read about how this fits together with our nature-based pedagogy at all our locations in our Kita concept.

Energy Heroes at Home: Ideas for Families

What works at the Kita also works at home. These ideas are inspired by the projects at Kita Mühle and can be tried out without much effort:

Detective tour through your home: Go searching together: Where is a standby light glowing? Where is a light on in an empty room? ➔ Result: Your child discovers for themselves where energy is lost.
Sorting game at the kitchen table: Collect items from around the house and sort them into "needs electricity" and "doesn't need electricity". ➔ Result: A sense of how much in everyday life is electric.
An evening without electricity: Candles or a flashlight, a board game, telling stories – an evening without screens and sockets quickly turns into an adventure. ➔ Result: Children experience what electricity makes possible and that things also work without it.
Assign an energy job: Who is "Light Chief" this week and turns off the light when leaving a room? ➔ Result: Responsibility that makes children proud.

Rather than laying down rules, ask "Why?": "Why do we turn off the light when we go outside?" When children find answers themselves, the knowledge sticks – and they experience that their ideas count.

Kita Mühle: Nature and City on a Historic Site

Kita Mühle is located on the grounds of a former water mill on the Wandse, surrounded by greenery and right next to the Botanical Garden. Around 80 children between the ages of three and six are cared for here in four groups. The large outdoor area includes a field of its own, where the children plant and harvest – there, too, they can experience that plants get their energy from sunlight.

Conclusion: Little Energy Heroes, Big Impact

The KITA21 award shows what has become a matter of course at Kita Mühle: children understand where energy comes from and handle it consciously – with curiosity rather than a wagging finger. We warmly congratulate the whole team, the children and the families. If you are looking for a Kita for your child where sustainability is lived in everyday life, get to know Kita Mühle and our other locations.

FAQ

What was Kita Mühle awarded KITA21 status for? For its project "Little Energy Heroes Think Big: Less Consumption, More Awareness". The children explored electricity and energy – with sorting games, a movement game about the electrical circuit, the character Blitzi and an electricity-free day. Lasting structures such as an energy duty and energy-saving rules anchor the topic in everyday life.

What does KITA21 Level 1 mean? Level 1 is the entry point to the KITA21 award. The Kita has set out on the path of implementing Education for Sustainable Development, has carried out a project lasting at least four weeks, and at least one staff member has attended the KITA21 basic training course. The award is valid for one year.

Who grants the KITA21 award? S.O.F. Save Our Future – Umweltstiftung. The award is under the patronage of Carola Veit, President of the Hamburg Parliament.

How can children save electricity at home? Best of all through play: tracking down standby lights as detectives, taking on a "Light Chief" job or experiencing an evening without electricity. What matters is that children understand why they are saving – then they happily join in.

Which other Stadtküken Kitas are KITA21? Besides Kita Mühle, our Kita Mühlenhof in Wandsbek and Kita Treudelberg in Lemsahl-Mellingstedt were also awarded KITA21 status for the first time in October 2026.

👤 About the Author

Arianne Vogt writes for the Stadtküken guide on topics related to everyday Kita life, early childhood education and nature-based pedagogy. Her aim is to explain educational concepts to parents in a clear and practical way.

Sources

KITA21: Wer wir sind
KITA21: Die Auszeichnung
KITA21: Die Kriterien
Jury decision of S.O.F. Save Our Future – Umweltstiftung on the KITA21 2026 award (Kita Mühle, 25 September 2026)