Settling-In Period

The settling-in period is a particularly important time in which trust and security are built for each child. Since every child is different, we shape this transition individually and gently.

In our kindergarten, the settling-in period begins in pairs on consecutive days so that we can give each child sufficient attention. During the first few days, the children are accompanied by their parents to allow for a gentle arrival in the new environment.

The length of the settling-in period varies from child to child. As a rule, it is advisable to plan for a period of around two weeks during which parents can accompany their child.

At the beginning of kindergarten, the children do not yet need to be fully toilet-trained. However, initial experiences with independence — for example, when using the toilet or getting dressed and undressed — support the transition and give the children additional security.

Language Development & Bilingualism

A child’s mother tongue is an important part of their identity and forms the foundation for acquiring additional languages. Children who have a secure command of their first language develop stronger self-confidence and learn additional languages more easily.

In our kindergarten, children experience German and English naturally in everyday life. We support each child in their individual language development — at their own pace and through a variety of methods such as Montessori materials, songs, rhymes, stories, and language-rich everyday situations.

For us, language is more than a learning topic: it is the key to participation, relationships, and active involvement. Especially during free play, natural opportunities for speaking arise in which children can tell stories, ask questions, negotiate, and express their feelings.

The family language is highly valued by us. We consciously support it and recommend that parents read regularly to their children in their mother tongue. In the kindergarten, too, we offer books, songs, and creative activities in both languages.

Mindful and appreciative use of language is especially important to us. We listen actively, take feelings seriously, and support children linguistically during conflicts. In this way, we strengthen both language and emotional development and support the formation of a positive identity.

Preschool & Transition to School

For us, preschool begins at birth — through play, observation, and independent learning. With us, children develop self-confidence, social skills, and a positive self-image. They learn to recognize their strengths, resolve conflicts, and experience themselves as part of the community.

We accompany the transition to school with particular care. Through small rituals, such as choosing a “power animal” that symbolically accompanies the child into the new phase of life, we create security and trust. Through rituals, joint visits to the school in small groups with parents, and preparatory conversations, children experience the new environment without fear, playfully, and with joy.

Our everyday preschool program integrates Montessori work, movement, language, art, and nature in order to promote cognitive, social, and fine motor skills — all without performance pressure. In this way, children begin early to engage with letters, numbers, and connections, discover their abilities, and learn to act with self-efficacy.

The transition to school takes place in cooperation with parents and the primary school. For children who need language support, we offer the Vorkurs Deutsch, which specifically strengthens language development and makes the start of school easier.

Child Protection as Lived Practice in Our Institution

In our institution, we understand child protection as a central part of our daily work. We actively safeguard the health and well-being of the children entrusted to us and protect them from every form of violence, abuse, and neglect. As a team, we share responsibility for ensuring that our institution is a safe place where children feel protected, seen, and taken seriously.

We discuss our child protection plan once a year with the entire team in order to keep all content present and to continuously develop it further. Parents receive the child protection plan together with the kindergarten contract so that they, too, are fully informed about our measures. New colleagues and interns read the child protection plan at the beginning of their work, and we go through the contents together.

Every two years, both the team and the parents take part in training sessions on child protection and our sexual education concept. In doing so, we engage intensively with prevention, rules around closeness and distance, and the sensitive handling of power. We also strengthen our ability to recognize possible signs of risks to a child’s welfare at an early stage.

In cases of suspicion, we act professionally and promptly. We involve the parents and — if necessary — the Youth Welfare Office or an appropriately experienced specialist, and we carefully document all observations and conversations. A mindful approach to risks is also part of our responsibility: we reflect on our behavior as a team, pay attention to clear boundaries in everyday pedagogical work, and ensure safe spatial conditions.

Another important building block of our child protection work is our consistent orientation toward the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We recognize children as independent holders of rights and encourage their participation in everyday life. Children are allowed to express their opinions freely, and we involve them appropriately in decisions that affect their lives and their everyday experience in kindergarten.

Montessori Pedagogy

In our institution, we use Montessori pedagogy to strengthen children in their natural curiosity and independence. In a prepared environment with a wide variety of materials, we accompany them as they discover their world through their own actions. In this way, the children develop concentration, self-confidence, and joy in learning. Each child is allowed to follow their individual interests and gather experiences that form a valuable foundation for their further educational path.

Art

Creativity is an important part of our everyday pedagogical work. With a variety of materials and open-ended activities, we support the children in expressing their imagination, developing their own ideas, and expressing their feelings. The focus is not on the finished artwork, but on the creative process. In this way, we strengthen self-confidence, fine motor skills, language development, problem-solving abilities, and the joy of discovering the world with all the senses.

Sport

Movement is an integral part of our everyday life at the daycare. Through a variety of sports and movement activities, we promote joy in movement, coordination, body awareness, and a healthy lifestyle. In the process, the children experience community, fairness, and team spirit, learn to accept both successes and challenges, and discover their own strengths. Our goal is to convey the joy of movement to every child — regardless of gender, origin, or individual abilities.

Nature Experiences

For us, nature is an important space for learning and living. That is why we spend time outdoors with the children every day and discover forests, meadows, bodies of water, and animals together. Through playing, exploring, and observing, the children experience nature with all their senses, develop creativity, movement, perseverance, and mindful interaction with one another. In this way, we strengthen their independence, well-being, and connection with nature — a valuable foundation for healthy and responsible growth. Regular nature excursions, forest days, and visits to the farm are a natural part of our work and create unforgettable experiences that leave a lasting impression on the children.

Reflection Circle

Our reflection circle is a fixed part of everyday pedagogical life. Here we create space to talk together about experiences, feelings, and challenges. The children learn to perceive their emotions, understand the perspectives of others, and grow from their experiences. In this way, we strengthen self-confidence, empathy, and the ability to find one’s own solutions — important foundations for self-determined and appreciative interaction.

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity is lived reality for us and a great enrichment. As an international daycare, children, families, and pedagogical professionals with different languages, cultures, and life stories come together here. Together we discover traditions, festivals, and perspectives from all over the world and learn to appreciate differences. In our German-English environment, we support the children in developing openness, respect, and empathy — because every child is unique and naturally belongs to our community.

Language

Language connects people and opens new worlds for children. In our German-English daycare, the children experience both languages naturally in everyday life — while playing, singing, telling stories, exploring, and discovering. We support each child in their individual language development and create a language-rich environment in which communication, listening, and mutual understanding are at the center. At the same time, we value each child’s family language as an important part of their identity and personal development.

Weekly and Daily Routines

Opening Hours:

Monday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. — normal kindergarten day
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. — excursion day
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closing Periods

We are closed for two weeks in winter around Christmas, one week at Easter, and three weeks in summer at the end of the school summer holidays.

Seasonal Celebrations

● St. Martin’s Day in autumn
● Christmas celebration in winter
● Summer festival at the end of the kindergarten year
● Farm visit in May/June
● Preschool children paint power-animal pictures in July

Daily Routine

Drop-off time: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Pick-up time: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Morning circle: 9:15 a.m.
Garden time in the morning: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Garden time in the afternoon: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Lunch: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Rest period: 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Daily reflection circle: 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Birthday celebrations take place from 2:00 p.m. onward.

Weekly Routine

Monday: Normal kindergarten day / Montessori Club & Art
Tuesday: Autumn/Winter: cooking three times a month, one excursion
Spring/Summer: three nature days/excursions, one cooking day

Wednesday: Nature class every two weeks
Thursday: Music / sport in the afternoon
Friday: Normal kindergarten day / Montessori Club & Art

Our Lunch

Our lunch is regularly delivered by the catering provider “Die Kinderküche.” The meals are freshly prepared every day, seasonal and regional, alternating between meat-based and vegetarian dishes. Desserts are served once or twice a week; on the other days, salads are offered.

In the morning and afternoon, the children receive fruit, nuts, raw vegetables, and bread with sausage or cheese. On some days, muesli is served in the morning.

We also regularly cook together with the children. In doing so, they experience the entire process — from raw ingredient to finished dish — and playfully learn a mindful approach to food, kitchen hygiene, and responsibility.

For us, conscious nutrition is an important part of everyday pedagogical life. We want to strengthen the children’s physical and emotional health and make them aware of a mindful approach to food — without pressure, but with joy and curiosity.

Shared meals are more than eating: they are moments of exchange, social learning, and connection. The children:

eat in a calm and appreciative atmosphere,
independently help set the table, serve food, and tidy up,
learn to respect different tastes and eating habits.

We encourage the children to try new foods, talk about the colors, shapes, smells, and origins of the dishes, and in this way awaken their natural curiosity.

When planning meals, we take into account:

allergies and intolerances,
medically necessary diets,
cultural and religious eating habits.

We clarify these points during the admission process, document them, and communicate them within the team so that all staff members are informed.