A low-cost earthquake simulator for early-years science education: A hands-on approach to teaching seismic concepts in kindergarten and primary school

Children growing up in seismically active regions such as Greece are routinely exposed to earthquakes from an early age, yet age-appropriate, classroom-ready resources for introducing seismological concepts in kindergarten and early primary years remain scarce. This paper describes the design, construction and classroom use of a simple, low-cost experimental earthquake simulator intended for children aged approximately four to eight years. The device is a qualitative classroom analogy rather than as a physically exact reproduction of seismic-wave propagation or ground-motion dynamics. The device is assembled from a paper box, a cardboard platform suspended on rubber bands, wooden building blocks and an optional 1.5 V DC motor with an eccentric cam, at a total material cost of approximately 5.50 to 20 euros, and it is embedded within a structured inquiry sequence consisting of introduction, prediction, trial, observation and discussion phases. Classroom implementation in kindergarten and early primary settings in the Region of Epirus, Greece, suggests that children in the target age range engage strongly with the device and can begin to reason, in age-appropriate language, about the relationship between distance from the epicentre, qualitative intensity of shaking and the stability of model structures. These observations are exploratory and should not be interpreted as formal evidence of measured learning gains. The device provides conceptual scaffolding for the school-based earthquake-preparedness programmes already operating in Greek schools and offers a transferable model for early-childhood disaster risk reduction education in other seismically active regions. Systematic evaluation of children’s learning outcomes through a multi-site, instrument-based study is identified as the priority for follow-up work.