Basics
Location & Surroundings
The Storchengasse Kindergarten is centrally located in the city center of Bad Neustadt but away from noise and traffic, at Storchengasse 13, just a few minutes walk from the market square. We have ideal conditions for incorporating the shops and institutions in the city into our daily educational activities. The bus station and the swimming pool "Triamare" are also easy to reach. And we are just a few minutes walk from the beautiful natural surroundings. For longer journeys or excursions into the surrounding area we use the municipal bus line "Nessi," which connects us to other parts of the city.
Our Concept
Children want to be active on their own initiative. Their curiosity about the world, their desire to explore and research demonstrate this. Children have intelligent questions and are rich in ideas and inspiration. Their thirst for knowledge and their ability to learn are great.
We encourage children to be active on their own initiative. Every child is individual and therefore needs and is given sufficient time and space to deal with themselves, with other children, with play materials, with their environment and with their own abilities and limitations.
Open Work
We see open work as the best possible opportunity to implement all educational areas and a high degree of participation in everyday educational life.
Our educational work is rooted in the family, the first and most formative place of education. We welcome all families and look forward to a wide cultural diversity. In doing so we focus on the individual needs of each child and their family.
Open work takes place in all available spaces in our kindergarden. Each child decides for themselves how long and with whom they want to participate in each educational space. This gives all children the greatest possible opportunity to play according to their individual interests and desires, to learn and to discover and explore their environment holistically with all their senses. They are given the greatest possible freedom of choice.
Open work takes place in all available spaces and is shaped by the attitude of the educational staff.
All educational areas required by the Bavarian Education and Training Plan are taken into account and implemented in the rooms which are equally accessible to all children.
The children are allowed to decide in which room they want to go to throughout the day. Mealtimes, excursions, lunchtime and rest periods are also organized using the magnetic wall. This offers the children a high degree of participation.
We take the children's wishes and ideas seriously and accept their perspectives. We see ourselves as children's developmental companions in everyday educational life. In each educational space, we prepare an appealing and diverse environment for the children that motivates them and offers them countless oppurtunities of exploring.
Our rooms
1. Crafting room
2. Movement room
3. Playroom with role-playing and construction areas
4. Bistro
5. Play Yard
6. Craft Corner
7. Toddler Area for children aged 1 to 3
Language Daycare
Language is the key to the world.
The "Federal Language Daycare Program" project began in 2016. It initially ended in December 2019 and was extended until June 2023. Since July it has been called the "State Language Daycare Program" and is being continued by the state of Bavaria.
Early language education makes an important contribution to giving every child equal opportunities. Therefore our language daycare centers and we as well are increasingly focusing on integrated language learning in everyday life. The children learn language in stimulating situations within their everyday lives and experiences. Integrated language learning in everyday life means letting children talk and encouraging them to do so. We, as educators, use many everyday situations to engage in targeted conversation with your child (e.g., while changing diapers, eating or painting). For us, letting children talk also means giving children enough time to think, giving them our full attention during conversations and asking questions.
Daily Routine in the Toddler Area
from 7 a.m.: Children arrive and are welcomed
8 a.m.: Toddler area opens: Free play
8:45 a.m.: Breakfast
9:30 a.m.: Morning Circle
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.:
- Free play, playground or activity room
- Time for walks and activities
- Time for diaper changes and hand washing
11:30 a.m.: Lunch
12 p.m.: Bedtime
2:30 p.m.: Afternoon snack
3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Children still in daycare are accompanied to kindergarten and have the opportunity to play there until they are picked up.
Daily Routine in the Regular Children's Area
From 7 a.m.: Children arrive and welcome
7 to 9 a.m.: Free Play
9 a.m.: Free Breakfast
10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.:
- Free Play
- Time for walks and activities
11:45 a.m.: Color Splash Meeting
12:30 p.m.: Lunch
1 p.m. - 2 p.m.: Rest Time
2:30 p.m.: Free Afternoon Snack
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Free Play until pick-up
Playing is Learning
"In play the child develops the 'tools' to understand the world." (Rainer Jaszus)
Play is the most elementary form of child expression. Children seek the stimuli they need for their development through play. In doing so they discover how things work, what they are used for and what their purpose is.
Play allows the child to freely choose the place of play, the activity, the play partners, the play materials, the course of the game, the game content, the playing time, the duration of the game and the playing pace.
For the child play means the expression of inner experience, the processing of experiences, the formation of social relationships, engagement with their environment, an enjoyable activity and the basic form of learning appropriate to the child.
"Children should play more than many do today. Because if you play enough while you're small, you'll carry treasures with you that you can draw on throughout your life." (Astrid Lindgren)
Celebrations and other Activities
Throughout the kindergarten year, we enjoy hosting various festivals and parent-teacher activities. We discuss and plan these annually and taking into account the wishes of the children and parents.
Examples of events include the Welcome Party, the Advent Breakfast and the Family Hike.
During the kindergarten year other festivals and celebrations take place in the mornings, to which we are happy to invite parents. For example, St. Martin's Day, St. Nicholas's Visit, Easter and we are also happy when parents introduce us to their religious and cultural festivals at the kindergarten and celebrate with us.
Other activities throughout the year include:
- weekly visits to the swimming pool (preschool children)
- Preschool sleepover at the kindergarten
- visits to the city library
- trips with the "Nessi" city bus to nearby destinations
- weekly nature days and monthly long nature days
- Participation in various activities offered by the Rhön Biosphere Reserve, such as "Apple Juice Made by your own Hand," "From Grain to Bread," "Colors of Autumn" and "Klara the Caddisfly"
- Visit of the Villsche Stiftung retirement home
Settling in
Settling in means for the child:
- They learn to orient themselves in unfamiliar spaces
- They experience many other children
- They meet unfamiliar adults
- They experience a different daily routine and rhythm than what they're used to at home
From the parental home to the toddler area
In the toddler area, the process is based on the Berlin model.
During the first week the child comes to us with their family caregiver for one hour each day, primarily during free play time.
They become familiar with the rooms and gradually interact with the other children. The educational specialist observes the child and offers appropriate play suggestions in small steps. From this, contact with the child develops gradually, initially individually and then increasingly intensively.
An initial separation attempt, in which the child remains in the facility without their caregiver for 30 minutes, is mutually agreed upon. The caregiver now serves as the child's play and caregiver. At pick-up, the educational specialist discusses with the caregiver whether the care time can be extended.
From the Parents' Home to the Regular Child Care Center
During the initial consultation with the pedagogical specialist, the specific procedure, tailored to the needs of the child and parents, is discussed and agreed upon individually.
The settling-in process is designed jointly with the child's primary caregiver and two permanent pedagogical specialists. Over several consecutive days, the child gets to know the daily routine of the pedagogical environment together with a parent. Afterward, the separation takes place gradually and in accordance with the child's needs. Gradually, the care time without the primary caregiver increases. The pedagogical specialist provides daily feedback on the progress of the settling-in process.
From the Toddler to the Regular Child Care Center
The transition to the Regular Child Care Center also requires a gradual and smooth transition.
A pedagogical specialist from the Toddler Care Center and a pedagogical specialist from the Regular Child Care Center discuss the settling-in process and engage in timely discussions with the parents and child. The pedagogical specialist carefully accompanies the child on several "trial visits" in the Regular Child Care Center.
