Children's ideas for sports fields
Normally, participation in citizens' assemblies is reserved for adults and older young people. In Moritzburg, a randomly selected Kinder-Zukunfts-Rat (Children's Future Council) now dealt with the question of how the sports facilities in the German municipality can be made sustainable and more attractive for children.
The mini-public took place as part of the two-year pilot project ‘Citizens’ Assembly with Children’ organised by the Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung DKJS (German Children and Youth Foundation). The topic of sports facilities was specified by the municipality, as a sports facility concept is to be developed at the request of the CDU. ‘We wanted a project that so far only adults have talked about, but which is particularly relevant for children,’ says Stefanie Lippitsch, a consultant at the DKJS: ’Sports facilities are close to their lives through school sports and clubs.’
Excursions and discussions
Third and fourth-graders took part in the Children's Future Council in the Saxon municipality. In eight meetings, the children developed ideas about sport and sports facilities in their community and visited selected sports facilities. They also exchanged ideas with experts from sports clubs, district sports associations, politics and the school system.
After a good six months of research and discussion, the participating children presented their ten recommendations to Mayor Jörg Hänisch (non-party) on 16 April 2025. The children had made a model for each recommendation so that the municipal administration would not forget their suggestions.
Children presented ideas
The members of the Future Council want sports grounds to be good and safe. They call for sturdy goals, better lighting, sufficient rubbish bins, rain protection and benches to rest on. In addition, the facilities should be regularly maintained, cleaned and broken items repaired.
The children themselves took over the presentation and reported on their discovery tours of the community's sports fields, discussions with experts from the worlds of sport, politics and education and the challenges they had uncovered.
‘Would love to continue taking part’
For ten-year-old Augustin, it is particularly important that the sports facilities are accessible to everyone at all times. ‘The entrances shouldn't be locked,’ the Sächsische Zeitung (Saxon Newspaper) quotes him as saying. Quentin, who is a year younger, would like the facilities to be usable in all weathers. ‘If it's a gravel pitch, you slide off when it rains, and on sand there are puddles,’ he says.
Laura (10) prefers jumping rope to playing football, but would still like good conditions for football matches. ‘That would be nice for the boys,’ she says - and adds: ’If it were up to me, I would like to continue to be part of the Future Council.’
‘Proposals are very well-founded’
‘I would have expected bigger plans like an indoor swimming pool, a boulder or skate park,’ said Mayor Hänisch. ‘But their proposals are very well-founded. The children have already thought about what works and what doesn't.’ ‘It's great that children are sitting down at a table and talking democratically about the future. The administration of the municipality of Moritzburg will incorporate what you have put together into the concept for the sports facilities and see what can be implemented,’ announced Hänisch.
Felix Hitzig (CDU), a member of the Saxon state parliament, was also impressed by the children's Future Council: ‘Such projects should be important to us. I am committed to ensuring that such projects continue to exist in Saxony.’
Discussions on implementation of ideas
After the official handover of the recommendations, there was room for dialogue and discussion between the children, the administration, politicians and civil society. The aim was to facilitate a dialogue at eye level in which children and adults jointly considered how the ideas could be implemented.
The young participants in the Children's Future Council were randomly selected from two after-school centres in Moritzburg. This brings together a group that might not otherwise get involved in such projects straight away,’ said DJKS officer Stefanie Lippitsch, explaining the purpose of this approach.
Raising awareness of child participation
The Children's Future Council in Moritzburg was a pilot project that shows how young people can be actively involved in local decision-making processes. The aim of the process is to sensitise adult stakeholders to the potential and requirements of child participation. The experience gained from this pilot project is to be transferred to other municipalities in the future.
Based on the findings of the project, practical materials for local authorities were published in December 2025:
These materials should make it easier for cities and municipalities to initiate and implement their own mini-publics with children. The materials will be published on www.starkimland.de in future and are intended to support local authorities in integrating child participation as an integral part of their decision-making processes in the long term.
Support from foundation and ministry
The project is supported by the Auridis gGmbH foundation as part of the ‘Kommune 360° ’ initiative and funded by the Saxon State Ministry for Social Affairs, Health and Social Cohesion.