Little Kids Daycare
How do we check ourselves and the offer?
We see the children's eyes light up...
Singing, playing music and dancing...
Singing, making music and dancing are an integral part of healthy development and are also great fun while promoting language development. We have these elements firmly integrated into the daily routine and offer valuable and beautiful moments for the children. Here is an example of a music sequence:
Singing : We form a circle and sing songs that each child can recognize on picture cards. The children can choose which songs they want to sing. Each child has probably already discovered their favorite song on the picture cards and is looking forward to choosing it.
Movement: In the area of gross motor skills, we offer children the opportunity to choose from a selection of veils or instruments. They move in their own rhythm to the children's music and jump in time with the veil or use the instrument.
Circle games : Circle games combine social skills, motor skills and language. They are important for following rules even in the midst of joy and emotion. The children know the procedures and know what is expected of them. We design circle games that combine singing and movement. The children can fully use their imagination. A yellow cloth turns into the sun, a blue cloth into a cloud. The tambourine creates raindrops and the rattle determines the speed.
These sequences allow children to express themselves creatively, strengthen their motor skills and develop their social skills while enjoying music and movement together.
Little explorers, big joy...
The outdoor spaces are an important learning area for children.
We adults like to travel a distance from A to B. Children, on the other hand, prefer to dawdle around... What does deliberate dawdling mean?
There is a ladybird on the flower, and Mr. Snail has just woken up from his sleep and is stretching out his feelers! A nice walk with children is not about going from A to B, it is more about a hunt for discovery at children's eye level. That is why we consciously plan to include discovery walks in our daily routine, as well as going from A. "daycare" to B. "playground". We want to see the world at children's level and give children the space to get to know their environment.
Children have a huge urge to explore and experiment . Children see little things everywhere that they find very exciting, like touching the snail and exploring new things. We teach the children how to DEAL with nature and animals. On our walks in nature, we give the children enough time to experience the world at their own pace.
There are many natural areas in our neighborhood. The forest is also easily accessible in the nearby area.
We are not a nature daycare center, but we live a very conscious relationship with nature.
Visiting playgrounds/ parks/ picnic areas
Damming the ford stream and throwing stones into it
Picnic
Visit to the forest/ Katzensee
Visit farm/zoo/feed ducks at the lake
Visit vehicles such as tram, bus, construction site
Food and Drink...
Children move around a lot and their loved ones get very hungry from playing so much. At the Little Kids daycare center, we consciously ensure that the diet is as sugar-free as possible, that we use seasonal foods and that food is prepared appropriately for the age. We order the main meals or cook them ourselves. Snack, fruit round after naptime, snack: we offer a fruit round first with every snack. Afterwards there are also crackers or a Birchermüesli, vegetable dip, an apple tart or yoghurt with cornflakes. The parents can see what they are currently eating on the menu for the week. We never force children to eat; if a child doesn't like something, an alternative option is offered. We differentiate between whether a child simply refuses healthy food as a matter of principle or whether he or she doesn't like certain foods. In any case, everything is discussed with the parents in advance and we adhere to the parents' instructions. An individual, loving and pedagogical attitude is important to us here, but the child comes first. On birthdays and special occasions, children who have the OK from their parents are of course offered cake or other birthday dishes.
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Drinks are accessible to everyone at all times. We limit ourselves to unsweetened tea and water or, in summer, sometimes diluted pure fruit juices. Individual agreements with parents are possible as long as it does not influence the group as a whole. Nutrition in a daycare center plays a central role in the healthy development of children and has a significant influence on their physical health, growth and ability to learn. A balanced and needs-based nutrition plan in daycare is therefore very important. Here are some key points that should be taken into account when designing the nutritional concept in a daycare center:
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1. Balance and diversity A balanced diet that contains all important nutrients is essential for children's growth and development. This includes a variety of foods from all important food groups: fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, dairy products or plant-based alternatives, as well as lean meat, fish or vegetarian protein sources.
2. Adaptation to special nutritional needs It is important to take children's special dietary needs and allergies into account. This includes offering lactose-free, gluten-free or allergy-friendly meals as well as taking cultural and religious dietary regulations into account.
3. Fresh and natural ingredients Using fresh, seasonal and, if possible, organically grown ingredients not only promotes children's health, but also teaches them the value of high-quality food and respect for the environment.
4. Involvement of children Actively involving children in meal planning and preparation can stimulate their curiosity and interest in healthy eating. This can be done through cooking activities or projects such as creating a daycare garden where children can experience the cultivation of vegetables and herbs.
5. Regular meals and healthy snacks Regular meals and healthy snacks are important to keep children's energy needs stable throughout the day.
6. Pedagogical aspects Nutrition education should be an integral part of everyday daycare. Children can learn what healthy eating means and why it is important through playful and educational activities such as themed project days or taste experiments.
7. Cooperation with parents Close collaboration with parents is essential to build a bridge between nutrition at home and in daycare. Information about eating habits at home can help to optimally adapt the menu at daycare.
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Interiors and offer
Interiors and offer
It is important for children that we offer them a wide range of child-friendly spaces.
These include indoor and outdoor spaces that invite you to play but also to relax.
Interiors:
It is important to us that we cover different learning areas with the play options available indoors.
The fantasy world: dressing up, role play, make-up, doll corner, workbench, post office, shop... We offer various activities in which children can put themselves in other roles. This promotes imagination and fantasy.
Construction, building and creation: Be it with Lego, blocks, Brio trains or car worlds. The children can build small worlds and act as constructors themselves. They are not in the action themselves, as in role play, they are outside and control the action from above. This means that a built city can sometimes collapse without consequence. These games promote networked thinking and the mathematical brain structure.
Creativity and experimentation: We have an area for creative work. The children have the opportunity to create free works of art, many different materials are available. There are also guided sequences in which the children pursue a goal. Be it getting to know the materials, a seasonal picture or learning how to use tools such as scissors or glue correctly and safely.
Rest: The children have a nap or break at lunchtime from 12.30-2.00 p.m. During this time, tired children can take a nap and older children who can no longer sleep can look at a book, listen to stories or play something quietly by themselves. The aim is to find peace during this time. 1 hour is the fixed rest time, after which some get up again and play quietly by themselves.
Rest breaks in the daily routine: The children have the opportunity to withdraw from the game or sequences at any time and go to the quiet corner and lie down or withdraw with a book and do something on their own. There is a large mattress with pillows available for this, which is always freely accessible. Children do not always have the same amount of energy and enthusiasm, so we offer this opportunity so that everyone can decide for themselves whether they have the strength to move around in a group or would rather be alone.
Stories and imagination: The teachers regularly tell stories to the children, this can be looking at a book in a small group, or a Christmas story, which goes hand in hand with the right atmosphere...
Pedagogy
We respond to the individual group needs. The children can decide for themselves what they would like to play. We use the morning circle to talk openly with the children about their wishes.
Our offers/daily plans are compiled based on the Berlin education program and other pedagogical principles.
Here is an excerpt from the Berlin model.
Pedagogical-methodological tasks
With their attitude and actions, educators contribute significantly to the quality of the daycare center. The BBP therefore focuses on the tasks of educators. These pedagogical and methodological tasks are therefore the supporting pillars.
The pedagogical and methodological tasks at a glance:
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Observation and documentation of children’s educational and developmental processes
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Organizing everyday life
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Game suggestions and game materials
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Work in projects
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Room design and material equipment
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Integration and early intervention
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Educational partnership with parents
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Designing transitions
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Collaboration and communication within the team, management and sponsors
Based on the observation of the individual development processes , the interactions, interests and topics of the children's community and the regular analysis of the real lives of the children and their families, the educators plan activities in everyday daycare life and projects together with the children, design the rooms and select materials and encourage the children to play. In doing so, they include the six educational areas across the board, because several educational areas usually flow together in the children's lives.
In addition to the educational work with the children, the range of tasks of the educators also includes professional communication and cooperation with parents and in the team. In addition, the integration of children with disabilities and early intervention as well as the design of transitions are essential educational tasks.
Educational areas
The educational areas invite children to explore their worlds in detail and provide suggestions for everyday life, ideas for games, the space and materials available and project topics. The structure of the educational areas follows developmental psychological processes of appropriating and shaping the world and thus provides an initial transfer between the understanding of education and practical work.
The list of educational areas does not represent a ranking. All educational areas are of equal value and permeate each other in the children's experience:
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Health
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Social and cultural life, friendships, consideration etc.
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Communication: languages, pictures, books
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Art: visual arts, music, role-playing
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Mathematics, Construction
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Nature – Environment – Technology
The educational areas support educational planning with the children , which is based on the following steps: exploring, formulating goals, designing and reflecting. In line with the dimensions of the learning activity, the individual educational areas contain suggestions for everyday life, play materials and game ideas, project work, room design and material equipment.
Goals of educational action
The understanding of education is closely linked to aligning educational action with goals. These goals guide educational action under the question: What do educators do to ensure that all children with their different backgrounds and interests can acquire skills? The goals are divided into:
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Strengthening ego competencies so that children develop a positive self-concept
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Strengthen social skills so that children can establish social relationships and treat each other with respect
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Strengthening subject-specific skills so that children can learn about the diversity of the world in its social context
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Strengthen learning method skills so that children develop a basic understanding of what they are learning, what they are learning and how they are learning.
The four areas of competence can be found in the system of educational areas and are specified accordingly. They indicate the direction in which educators should strengthen and encourage a child to make the most of his or her potential.
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