Can Co-Creation Be Done With Children?

Hi, I’m Luke Cartmell, part of the Powered By CAN team — and recently, I got to dive into something that was equal parts exciting, unpredictable, and full of honest wisdom from some very switched-on young people.

Over the past few months, I ran a series of workshops in the Hateley Heath ward with three separate groups of children aged 8 to 12. The mission? To see if young people could design their own perfect session — from the day, to the time, to the venue, to the activities and kit they’d want. Real co-creation, powered by the voices that usually get overlooked when the grown-ups are doing the planning.

So, what happened?

First off — kids know what they want. They were clear, imaginative, and really thoughtful about the kind of session they’d love to be part of.

Across the three groups, we asked:

• What day works best?
• What time should we meet?
• Where should it happen?
• What kind of equipment and activities should be there?

After gathering everyone’s ideas, I stepped in to do the behind-the-scenes bit — taking all the different preferences and trying to shape them into a real, doable plan.

The “winning” combo? Tuesday, from 4:30 to 6pm. Great! …Well, kind of.

The reality check

Even though Tuesday at 4:30pm was the most popular choice on paper, it still only worked for around 30% of the children we spoke to. Why? Life!

Some kids already had other after-school activities. Others couldn’t get lifts. Some had parents with work commitments. And even when we found a venue they liked, it wasn’t guaranteed to be available at that time. So while co-creation worked — it wasn’t perfect, and that’s okay.

What did we learn?

This experience showed that co-creation can work with children — absolutely. But it also revealed just how many invisible barriers get in the way, even when you try to give children full control. Timing, transport, availability… a lot of it is out of their hands.

Still, it was an amazing process. We learned a lot. The children had ideas that were creative, thoughtful, and grounded in what they actually want and need. And that’s exactly why this matters.

What’s next?

This experience has sparked something in me. Over the next 12 months, I’ll be exploring this idea even more — finding new ways to work with children, not just for them. Because when we listen, really listen, kids can be incredible co-designers.

Let’s keep proving that their voices aren’t just important — they’re essential.

Thanks for reading,
Luke Cartmell
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