An exemplary day at our Kindergarden in Berlin Steglitz
Daily routine at the Blütezeit KinderGarden
7.30 a.m. – 9.30 a.m
Welcome! – Arriving calmly at the day-care center
During this period, children arrive at our facility. Parents are welcome to choose the time that suits their family and children. It is important to us that families can start their day without the additional rush or stress of potentially having to meet arrival times. We want to give young families the space to grow into their everyday lives and give experienced families the freedom to react to the mood of the day, especially that of the children. At the beginning of the day, we attach the greatest importance to family harmony, especially in the interests of the children. This allows you to start the day with your reference educators and friends in our daycare center safely and securely. In the preschool year, we begin with children and parents to establish morning routines as part of preparing for the transition to school.
Parents have the choice of handing over their children to an educational specialist on the premises of the facility or at the parent stop on Steglitzer Damm.
All children start the day with their primary caregiver. U3 Children with their group in their respective room. Ü3 children in the area of the facility determined by the children. This is reminded of a magnetic wall in the entrance area, on which each child can find the current whereabouts of their caregiver. Every child arrives and makes contact with their reference person. Educators move in alternation and consultation with their colleagues in the different areas.
07:30 -09:30
Let's play! – We start the day with the children's favorite activity.
We use the most valuable time in the morning in the interests of the children and their individual needs in the form of free playtime. The children choose which area they want to play in. They communicate this via magnetic walls, which can be found in front of each area, in which they place their respective "sign" there before entering and take it with them when they leave.
During this time, the pedagogical specialists have an observing and significantly accompanying task, as explained in the area of free play in the pedagogical concept.
7.30 a.m. - 10.00 a.m. Self-determined breakfast & shared experience are compatible
Children have the opportunity to choose their own breakfast time, depending on their needs or the morning breakfast routine in the family. Every child can serve themselves at the buffet. The children decide what they want to taste and eat. After a child has had breakfast, it decides for itself when to leave the table. Each child tidies up their place after breakfast. The child sponsors are role models for their protégés and take them “by the hand” if necessary. Experience has shown that children like to eat together with their caregiver and/or their friends, and this creates a communal start to the day despite the individual breakfast time.
Due to the central location of the dining area, it is openly accessible, “reminds you” and invites you to socialize and linger.
After breakfast, until 11:00 a.m., in both dining and play areas (U3 and Ü3), fruit and vegetable plates are offered with fresh, delicious offers for the children to potentially bridge a feeling of hunger until lunchtime.
09.30 - 09.45 a.m
Experience the strength of community! – WE time – an encounter
The morning circle offers a secure anchor in the daily structure, as well as the entry into the childlike community.
The children determine the content of the morning circle depending on their needs, singing, dancing and talking. At the end of the morning circle, the children are presented with the offers of the day in the different researcher worlds. The offers are based on the interests and wishes of the children. The choice of the offer is made by the child.
The morning circle takes place daily in your own small group and once a week in the large circle of the Ü3 and in the large circle of the U3 groups.
9.45 a.m. - 12.00 p.m. We research and discover - offers of the educational areas
In addition to the offers in the educational areas indoors, we attach great importance to creating offers in our garden and forest every day (see page 17 educational concept). It is important to us to experience nature with the children in all its seasonal diversity and challenges. True to the motto "there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes", we also experience nature and fresh air every day.
As part of the educational offers, we take into account the different requirements of the individual children, as well as different degrees of challenge and thus offer them the opportunity to positively strengthen their innate and personal curiosity and to develop their potential in a self-determined manner.
It is also possible for children to remove themselves from the offer at individual times or to change it, or even to devote themselves to free play.
9.45 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. U3
The 1-2 year olds in particular spend a large part of their active time in the respective group room and in the outdoor play area with their caregiver. Children of crèche age also have the opportunity to rest or sleep in the mornings in the mornings, depending on their needs (see details below “We take a deep breath”).
09.45 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. O3
in addition to the educational areas, once a week the offer for our children's cooks
In addition to the offers in the researcher worlds, there is also the offer to cook together. When cooking together, the children experience the conscious and sustainable use of food, the joy of preparing the meal, and the nutritional values of the various foods. Of course, children can contribute their wishes and ideas and design or modify recipes.
11.30 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. simply delicious! - Enjoyable lunch together
At lunch we place an emphasis on dining experience in the familiar community. The children eat with their groups and the reference educators. This gives you the opportunity to strengthen your bond during this time and then to take a break in familiar circles.
It is important to us that the children can pay attention to their food. We talk about food, where it comes from and how it is processed. We talk about what we saw when the chefs prepared the food and what impressed the children about it. When they eat, the children are given the herbs or raw food on the table so they can touch them, taste them and make the connection to what the cooks have conjured up with them.
Once a week the children's chefs present the food of the day, what are the special features of it for them personally and what they did or did not enjoy about the preparation, e.g. that the carrots are from their own garden and the potatoes were particularly difficult to peel, Etc.
The children lay the table together and appoint a host each day who gets the food from the kitchen, who introduces it and chooses the table sayings. The table is cleared in the community. If a child finishes faster and wants to leave the community early, they can express this wish and ask the other children in the group for their understanding.
The educators encourage conscious, sensual and pleasurable eating through their example.
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. U3 Lunch
The children and educators can decide together what time they eat in their room or in the open area. The educators make sure that a maximum of 2 groups eat at the same time in order to create a calm atmosphere for the children.
11.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. O3
The children and teachers can decide together at what time they eat together. The educators make sure that a maximum of 15 children eat at the same time in order to create a calm atmosphere for the children.
12.30pm - 2.30pm
We breathe deeply!
12.30pm - 2.30pm U3
The two centrally located relaxation rooms on the ground floor are used for retreat and quieter activities such as reading / reading aloud, telling stories, perception offers, sleeping, building caves. There is additional space on the plateaus, which offers the children individual retreats of varying quality. Under the stairs there is storage space for the children's blankets and pillows.
1.15 - 2.30 p.m. O3
At the back of the day-care center is the room for quieter activities such as reading, looking at books and listening. Children who need sleep and rest can also retreat here and catch their breath.
After lunch, the quiet time is stimulated by reading and audio books. In a large tent from "1000 and one nights" the children can listen to the stories on comfortable cushions and pillows.
Puzzles and board games can be played at tables in the relaxation room, but also in the central marketplace area of the facility.
from 2.30 p.m. - 3.30 p.m
Snack energy for the afternoon
After sleeping and resting, there is a snack offer for all children: fruit, vegetables with dip, finger food variants. The children can serve themselves as needed.
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m
Free game time