Social experiment in primary school: "Storm‑cast seaweeds are not waste!"

. In coastal cities, storm‑cast seaweeds are often perceived as waste, although they are a valuable resource (fertiliser, biostimulant). The project “Touching Flowerbed” has been running at School No. 57 since 2019, involving primary school children in environmental activities. This study evaluates how different educational formats influence the attitude of younger schoolchildren towards storm‑cast seaweeds. A social experiment was conducted in three classes: a hands‑on workshop (2nd grade), an in‑depth discussion (4th grade, experienced participants), and a brief mention (4th grade, control). Before and after the interventions, children completed questionnaires with emotional indicators and open‑ended questions. The results show that the hands‑on workshop caused the most significant shift: positive attitude increased from 8% to 76%, and 85% of children expressed readiness to use seaweeds as fertiliser. The discussion also had a positive effect, while the brief mention produced almost no change. The study confirms that practical activity is the most effective way to change children’s perception of natural objects from “waste” to “resource”. The results are already used in the “Touching Flowerbed” project for environmental education.