Luxembourg to launch first immersive educational project for children

At the end of January, SPILLY, Luxembourg's first immersive mini-city project entirely dedicated to children, will open in the City Concorde shopping and entertainment complex in Bertrange. The space, covering more than 700 square metres, is designed for children aged 0 to 11 and is divided into areas adapted to different age groups, including the youngest children.

SPILLY is designed as a "child-sized city" where learning is built through role-playing and practical experience. Children can try out everyday professions such as firefighter, doctor, baker, police officer, hairdresser or restaurateur. As emphasised in the press release, this format is aimed at developing imagination, independence and understanding of the surrounding world in a safe and stimulating environment.

The mini-city concept is well known outside Europe and widespread in Asia and the United States, but this is the first project of its kind in Luxembourg. In addition to its play infrastructure, SPILLY is positioned as an inclusive space open to all children, where everyone can develop at their own pace. There is a particular focus on developing social skills – the ability to play together, share, cooperate and interact with respect for others.

The project is aimed not only at families, but also at the educational environment: it is designed for cooperation with schools, kindergartens, and maison relais. In addition to the main play area, there are separate rooms for birthday parties, as well as a programme of creative workshops that complement the play component with self-expression and collaborative creativity classes.

The idea for SPILLY belongs to the project's founder, Guileine Chaux. Her professional background combines musicology, business management, marketing and finance. According to her, the impetus for the project came from her personal experience and the feeling that Luxembourg lacked spaces that were equally comfortable for children and adults. She describes SPILLY as a place where children learn through play and grow at their own pace, and the project itself is designed with an international context in mind, but is based on local values.