Introduction/specifics

Our daycare center is located in the residential area of Ob dem Kirchhof and surrounded by fields and meadows. The children benefit from the rural environment and the community's amenities and facilities. There is a playground near the daycare center, and a short walk away we can reach the forest and the Buchsbach stream. Our cooperation partners, the Haaggasse daycare center and the elementary school, are located in the town center. Interacting with the local community is an important experience for the children. It helps them get to know their home town and build important connections.

Rooms

Rooms and surroundings

Our “Ob dem Kirchhof” daycare center is a single-story timber frame building. The oiled wood walls and linoleum floors create a healthy indoor climate. The color scheme combines cream-white and warm earth tones with splashes of bright colors. The building has floor-to-ceiling windows in some areas, allowing light to flood in and giving even the youngest children a clear view of nature and our garden. All in all, it is a place where everyone feels at home.

The orientation plan for education and upbringing quotes W.L. Spencer-Churchill: “First we shape our spaces, then they shape us.” From our experience as educators, we can wholeheartedly endorse this statement. Accordingly, we have planned the room concept with great attention to detail, taking into account aspects relevant to development.

First and foremost, the children should feel comfortable in the rooms of the daycare center. In order to do justice to this important principle, we have designed the environment of our daycare center according to the motto “Give the children a home.” Children strive for independence and autonomy and want to understand the world in which they live. With our Montessori developmental materials, play activities, and projects, we give children “the world in their hands” and, above all, plenty of time to marvel, observe, discover, and explore. Sensory perception and movement are fundamentally important here, enabling children to process, store, and organize all their impressions.

Daily Schedule

Daily Routine

"The grass does not grow faster if you pull on it" African wisdom

Children are learning beings from birth and possess potentials and needs that help them adapt to their environment and thrive both physically and mentally. They want to explore, investigate, and understand the world.

For this, they primarily need time and an environment that is oriented towards their needs. The course of the day must take these important aspects into account.

On the one hand, it must provide free time, and on the other hand, the routine needs structure to provide orientation and security. We place the highest value on our children being able to develop for three hours without interruption in the so-called free play phase.

During the free play phase:

- the child learns at their own pace
- the child has the free choice of what they want to engage in
- the child determines the timing
- the child acts at their individual tempo
- the child determines the duration of play and learning
- the child determines the opportunity for repetition
- the child has the choice of social form.

The educational team observes the children during this time, accompanies them gently, and adjusts the routines and guidance accordingly.

To meet the need for movement, we go daily to the garden or activity room for free play. Visits to playgrounds, forests, and meadows provide variety for our children.

During the shared morning circle, the sense of community is nurtured. 

Otherwise, we offer activities and projects tailored to the sensitivities of the children, providing variety and challenges throughout the day and week.

The shared lunch also provides a temporal orientation for the children and is much more than just food intake. For us, it is about enjoying meals together, experiencing table manners, and transitioning from the active morning into a period of relaxation.

The end of the morning is a quiet period. This is adapted according to the needs of the children. One small group may genuinely need rest with lullabies or relaxation stories, while others may need a bit of movement in the gym. What is important to us is that the children are considerate of the needs of others.

Afternoons are filled with free play and a short break for a snack. Playing in nature and organized activities are also possible.

Food

Nutrition

Good food is a very important issue and a basic need for children in the early stages of development. They eat with all their senses and are generally more sensitive than adults. Food must look appetizing, smell delicious, feel pleasant in the mouth, and simply taste good. Ideally, eating should be followed by a feeling of well-being.

Nutrition is a big responsibility for families and daycare centers.

On the one hand, a healthy diet promotes physical health and, on the other hand, mental development.

In short, “food keeps body and soul together” and therefore plays an important role in the weekly and daily routine.

In order to thrive healthily, every child needs a diet tailored to their sensitivities. Families are responsible for this:

• they give their child a healthy breakfast
• they give their child a second snack for lunch, or order a hot meal, which is freshly cooked and delivered daily by the restaurant “Zur Post” in Lampoldshausen

The daycare center supports families in feeding their children and:

• provides drinks
• organizes meal orders from the restaurant “Zur Post”
• creates a conscious “eating environment”
• has developed a concept for food and drink
• offers educational cooking once a week in the U3 and Ü3 areas
• offers fruit

Basics

Welcome to the Ob dem Kirchhof daycare center

Well-being

Our time together at the Ob dem Kirchhof daycare center is shaped by the people who play, learn, work, and spend time together there. Above all, the children, with their needs and sensitivities, guide our educational team in how we organize everyday life at the daycare center. This would not be possible without a careful eye on each individual child and without good bonds. Children need a trusting bond as a secure foundation for their development. Only then can children develop physically and psychologically and feel confident enough to explore their environment.

Education for sustainable development 

Our profile of education for sustainable development enables children to engage spontaneously with their entire environment. Our aim is to sensitize children and to exemplify holistic, sustainable action and thinking. We achieve this primarily through our conceptual focus on Maria Montessori.  With Montessori development materials, play activities, and projects, we give children “the world in their hands” and, above all, time to marvel, observe, discover, and explore. Sensory impressions and movement, especially using their hands, are of fundamental importance here. This enables children to process their impressions and learn to understand connections.

Children's rights and values

We are committed to children's rights and respect the dignity of each individual.

We give children attention, recognition, and security, and provide them with a comprehensive basic orientation that promotes a sense of justice and ultimately peaceful coexistence and mutual support.

Teamwork with parents

Education and parenting partnership

“It takes a village to raise a child” African proverb

Today's children are the architects of our future. This statement highlights how important and challenging our shared task of guiding them on their journey is. A good education and parenting partnership is essential for this. Our educational team, the children's families, and the community of Hardthausen therefore form a diverse network for the benefit of the children.          (See photo: Field trip to the chicken farm, organized by the Parent-Teacher Association.)