The idea of bringing a mobile educational service directly to children and young people was born in 1997 during a closed meeting of the youth development department in the youth welfare office of the city of Hilden.
The great interest was already evident during the first activities in the same year: Numerous children, parents, neighbors and other interested parties took part. Social institutions in the area also actively participated. In some cases, up to 180 children attended the play afternoons, where they played together with the team and used the materials provided.
After ten successful missions in 1997, a survey confirmed this: The vast majority of Hilden's population wanted the service to continue.
From 1998, the Spielmobil was regularly deployed with permanent staff. Each season - from April to September - around 30 to 35 deployments took place throughout the city.
Some milestones:
- 2009: Stadtwerke Hilden made it possible to purchase new event equipment through a generous sponsorship.
- 2014: A new vehicle with a larger body was purchased.
- 2015: Thanks to the support of 3M, the new Sprinter was given a colorful wrap.
At the council meeting on 17 December 2024, it was decided to reorganize the operation of the playmobile from 1 January 2025. Since then, all costs incurred - including operating and maintenance costs as well as expense allowances for the accompanying instructors - have been financed by donations.
The Mayor's Office of the City of Hilden has been coordinating the mobile operations since the start of the 2025 season.