Children’s fairyland café inspires sustainability from a young age

Suffused with the feel of an enchanted forest, the Lolly-Laputan fairyland café aims to capitalise on children’s curiosity to teach them about sustainability

Spotted: Based on a drawing by the architect’s daughter, clouds, a carousel and hidden treehouses are some of many magical features in the Fairyland café. Located in Dalian, in the south of Liaoning Province, China, the café was created by the Shanghai-based Wutopia Labs, and designed to look and feel like an enchanted forest.

In the main café area, a series of clouds ripple along the floor and ceiling, surrounding the slide, ball pit and carousel. For families wanting a bit of quiet time, there are a number of partially enclosed spaces for a more calming dining experience, and in the Golden Castle, there is a fireplace, child-sized silverware and electric candles. There is also a dedicated space for performances, and the café is currently in the process of developing a programme for these.

Childhood is a time of imagination, and many businesses and projects are capitalising on children’s curiosity, in order to teach them about sustainability from a young age. In Slovenia, Springwise spotted a hand-made, all-wooden balance bike for young children, and in the USA, several organisations worked together to deliver a Halloween sweets wrapper recycling campaign.