Introduction

The parents’ initiative “Die Glühwürmchen e.V.” has been supporting children aged 1 to 3 in a safe and family-like environment since 1987. In our small, single-group under-3s nursery, which accommodates up to 10 children, the focus is on building reliable relationships, providing individual support and ensuring the well-being of every single child.

We offer the children a place where they feel safe and secure, can build trust and are allowed to discover the world at their own pace – in keeping with our motto: ‘Growing through play – growing up in a sheltered environment’. Consistent caregiver and a calm atmosphere lay the foundation for this. Every child is welcome here with their own personality, strengths and needs. We see diversity as an enrichment of our community.

As a parents' initiative, we embrace community and active participation. Parents actively contribute their ideas, skills and perspectives and help shape life at the nursery together. 

The day care center is open Monday to Friday from 7.15 am to 3.15 pm. Within this timeframe, families can make flexible use of the daily childcare hours for up to 7 hours.

Outdoor Facilities

Our sheltered garden regularly provides the children with space for physical activity, experiencing nature and free play.

Here, the children can go on the swings, have a go on the slide, experiment with water and sand, or simply potter about outdoors. A covered area allows them to be active in the fresh air even when the weather is changeable.

Rooms

Our accessible facility is situated on the ground floor of a modern multi-generational building and offers plenty of space for playing, moving about and feeling at ease. The bright and spacious rooms are specially designed to meet the needs of children under the age of 3. Quiet corners and a clear, low-stimulus layout provide the children with a sense of direction and security.

A cosy sleeping area, spacious play areas and direct access to the garden create a pleasant environment for the children’s daily lives. It is particularly important to us that the children can move about freely, explore things for themselves and, at the same time, find places to retreat to whenever they need to.

Daily Schedule

A reliable yet flexible daily routine gives the children a sense of security and structure. Shared meals, rituals, free play and quiet time give structure to the day.

Our daily routine includes, amongst other things:

• free play and physical activities
• breakfast and lunch together
• creative and musical activities
• playing in the garden and experiencing nature
• rest and sleep times
• rituals and singing together
• individual support and time for each child

Free play plays a particularly important role in this. The children learn through movement, relationships and shared discovery in everyday life. It is particularly important to us that every child is allowed to progress at their own pace. Needs for sleep, rest and quiet time are taken into account on an individual basis.

Food

Shared meals are an important part of our daily routine and foster a sense of calm, community and structure.

The children bring their breakfast from home. Lunch is delivered fresh every day by our caterer, ‘Vitesca’. We look out for fresh, regional and age-appropriate meals, as well as a balanced and varied diet. Special dietary requirements and food intolerances are, of course, taken into account.

Basics

Bonding and a Sense of Security
The early years of life are a particularly important stage of development. We focus on secure attachments, emotional security and reliable relationships.
Our small group enables us to recognise each child as an individual and support them with sensitivity. Consistent caregiver, clear structures and a calm atmosphere provide the children with security and guidance in their daily lives.
Our educational approach is based on the situational approach. We take up the children’s interests, needs and everyday experiences to shape our shared daily routine. Many educational and relational moments arise quite naturally through our daily interactions – during breakfast together, whilst playing in the garden, or whilst singing and exploring during free play.

A gentle settling-in period
A trusting and personalised settling-in process forms the basis for a successful time at the nursery. We do not follow rigid timeframes, but tailor our approach to each individual child and their family. Together with the parents, we guide the transition to the nursery gently and step by step.
The children are supported by designated caregiver and are given the time they need to build trust and feel secure.

Supporting individual development
Every child brings their own personality, their own pace and their own individual needs. We support the children with respect and without any pressure to perform.
At our centre, children learn primarily through their own actions and shared experiences. Through their daily interactions, they discover their environment, gain experiences and, step by step, develop independence and confidence in their own abilities. 
Every child should feel safe and part of the community. We focus on the children’s individual strengths and needs, thereby enabling them to participate on an equal footing in everyday life and educational processes. We see this as inclusion in practice.
Where necessary, and in consultation with parents, we work with specialist services such as early intervention centres or therapists.

Participation and self-efficacy
Even young children want to have a say and express their needs. We take the children’s signals seriously and enable age-appropriate participation in everyday life – for example, when choosing play materials, physical activities or quiet spaces. In this way, the children experience a sense of self-efficacy and their sense of self is strengthened.

Employee

Our team consists of four childcare workers specialising in the under-3s group, as well as a support worker. The excellent staff-to-child ratio in our small, single-group nursery creates the ideal conditions for reliable childcare hours and personalised support for the children.

Specifics

• a warm and peaceful atmosphere
• personalised care focused on building relationships
• a gentle settling-in process at the child’s own pace
• an excellent staff-to-child ratio
• bright, spacious and accessible rooms
• active involvement through the parents’ group

Teamwork with parents

A trusting partnership between parents and the educational team forms the basis of our work. Regular dialogue supports the children’s development in their day-to-day lives. An open atmosphere, mutual respect and short lines of communication are particularly important to us.

As a parents' initiative, our nursery thrives on the active involvement of families. Parents have the opportunity to help shape life at the nursery and to get involved as part of a vibrant community.

Parent involvement includes, amongst other things:

• daily chats in the corridor
• regular development meetings
• parents’ evenings and meeting of members
• joint celebrations and parent-child activities
• support with projects, events and outings
• serving on the parents’ group executive committee or the nursery’s parents’ council

Projects

Our projects and activities are tailored to the children’s interests and needs. Shared experiences, physical activity, creativity and regular rituals are at the heart of what we do.

Throughout the year, we organise various celebrations, activities and shared experiences that provide the children with a sense of direction and strengthen their sense of community. These include, amongst others:

• Parent-child afternoons
• Summer party
• Lantern festival
• Easter breakfast
• St Nicholas’ Day breakfast
• Birthday parties
• Short excursion and nature experiences

Singing together, creative activities and seasonal rituals are part of our daily routine and create many wonderful shared memories.

Description and Stations

Der Grabenkamp ist eine Parallelstraße von Gütersloher Str. und Brockhagener Str. ungefähr zwischen real.- Markt und Aldi Gütersloher Str.

Mit dem PKW:

• Von der Gütersloher Str. über die Herner Str. oder Landheim in den Grabenkamp einbiegen
• Von der Brockhagener Str. über die Gerberstr. in den Grabenkamp einbiegen

Mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln:

• Aus Brackwede/Senne: Buslinie 123, Haltestelle "Brocker Schule", ca. 2 Min. Fußweg zum Grabenkamp 35
• Aus Bielefeld bzw. Ummeln/Gütersloh: Buslinie 95, Haltestelle  "Brocker Schule", ca. 2 Min. Fußweg