Children aged eight to 12 are taking part in a special professional immersion programme in Brussels on Saturday, October 3. The event, known as “Place aux enfants 2026,” is being organised in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode and gives children an opportunity to visit workplaces and institutions that are normally inaccessible to them. The programme is designed to help young participants discover different professions while learning about how the city and its institutions operate.
The programme runs from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and includes visits to a wide range of locations. Children can explore cultural institutions, public organisations, media organisations and other workplaces. The list includes the Belgian Senate, the Chamber of Representatives, RTBF, the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie, Experience Brussels and several museums and cultural centres.
The central idea behind the programme is to allow children to see what adults do at work. Young people often know about professions through family members, television or school lessons, but they may not understand what those jobs actually involve. Visiting a workplace can make the idea of a career more concrete.
The programme can also help children understand public institutions. Visits to the Senate or Chamber of Representatives can show young participants how political institutions operate and how different people work within them. At a young age, such experiences can make civic institutions less abstract and easier to understand.
Cultural institutions are also part of the programme. Children can visit museums, theatres and other creative organisations. These locations can introduce them to jobs that are not always discussed in traditional career education. Theatre workers, museum staff, journalists, designers and cultural managers all contribute to the city’s cultural life.
The programme is also designed around interaction. Children are not simply being taken to workplaces as tourists. They are being given opportunities to discover professional environments and ask questions. Direct contact with adults working in different fields can help children understand the skills and responsibilities connected with each profession.
Education experts often stress the value of practical experiences because children can learn differently outside a classroom. A workplace visit can connect school subjects with real situations. Mathematics, language, science and social studies can all have practical applications in different jobs.
The programme also provides an opportunity for children to learn about the diversity of professional life. Some jobs require university education, while others rely more heavily on technical skills, practical training or artistic abilities. Showing children different possibilities can help them understand that there are many routes into working life.
For Brussels, the programme also strengthens links between young residents and the city itself. Children who visit museums, public buildings and cultural institutions can develop a stronger connection with their local community. They can learn how different organisations contribute to the city’s daily life.
The event is being held under the theme “You and me in the same universe.” That theme focuses on the relationship between children and adults and encourages young participants to see professional life from a different perspective.
The programme includes both public and private organisations. This creates a broad picture of working life rather than focusing on one sector. Children can move from cultural institutions to media organisations, public offices and other workplaces during the day.
For parents, programmes like this can also provide useful conversations about education and future careers. Children may return home with questions about professions they have discovered for the first time. Those questions can become opportunities for families to discuss school subjects, skills and future interests.
The October 3 event therefore combines education, community activity and career awareness. Rather than simply telling children about adult working life, the programme allows them to see it directly. By opening normally restricted workplaces to young visitors, Brussels is giving children a practical introduction to the professional world while encouraging curiosity about the city around them.
