Quality in caregiving.

For more information contact usat post@rainbowtrekkers.de

rainbowtrekkers Lindenthal

Dürener Straße 394

Lindenthal Betreuung Kita

1. Structure

1.1 Location and contact details

This kindergarten in Lindenthal is centrally located on Dürener Straße. Tucked away in a backyard and not visible from the street, the kindergarten has a fantastic outdoor area of almost 1,000 square metres.

Tucked away in a backyard and not visible from the street, the kindergarten has a fantastic outdoor area of almost 1,000 square metres.

1.2 History

The kindergarten at Dürener Straße 394 is the original premises of rainbowtrekkers. Here we opened our first kindergarten in 2007. Until then, the building had been used as a dance school and toy store. At that time, we gutted the building and converted it into a kindergarten ourselves.

In 2010, we were able to open a second group in the neighbouring house, which borders the property and had been used as a residential building until then.

1.3 Number of places and age groups

In Lindenthal there are 30 places for children aged 1-6 years.

1.4 Opening and closing times

Our regular opening times are from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Caregiving contracts cover 45 hours a week.

The institution regurlarly has 27 closing days per year. The closing times are announced in good time before the start of the kindergarten year. The closing times are announced in good time before the start of the kindergarten year.

1.5 Admission criteria

The demand is greater than the available places. Therefore we decide on the allocation of places – transparent for all parents – according to the following criteria (in descending order of importance):

  • Siblings of the child already visit the receiving institution.
  • The child fits into the receiving group in terms of age.
  • Once the child has been admitted, the group will have a balanced gender mix.

  • The parents share the values and educational concept of the institution and declare their willingness to enter into an educational partnership.
  • Admission of the child contributes to the social and cultural balance of the group.
  • The family is new and without a family support network.

2. Spaces

2.1 Indoors

In Lindenthal we have a total of about 350m² indoor space in two different buildings, all at ground level.

The facility consists of two groups: the Peek-a-boos (approx. 10 one-to-three-year-olds) and the Snugglebugs (approx. 20 three-to-six-year-olds). While the Peek-a-boos group is located at the back of the property in its own bungalow, the premises of the Snugglebugs are located at the other end of the outdoor area in the front part of the property in the main building.

Both groups are managed by a common principal. The principal’s office, kitchen, utilities, and storage rooms are located in the main building.

Both units have a main room for communal activities and a side room for differentiated pedagogical work as well as a dormitory. In addition, each unit has its own sanitary and changing area. The Peek-a-boos bungalow also has a kitchenette.

Lindenthal Childhood

Beyond the group assignment, rooms – depending on their equipment and functionality – are also available to children of the respective other group. For example, the entrance area of the Snuggle-Buggs group can also be used for handover situations of the Peek-a-boos group. And in the same way, the relaxation (snoezel) room of the Peek-a-boos is also open before and after the group-related nap tim to older children seaking peace and quiet.

2.2 Outdoors

The outdoor area in Lindenthal offers a variety of activities to make the children’s outdoor time as enjoyable as possible. A variety of bushes and trees also offer the opportunity to retreat and be close to nature.

 

The lower area is covered with bark mulch and especially the small children can let off steam here. There is a small climbing frame with a slide and a swing that all the children like to use.

 

In the upper area, there is a sandbox with a large climbing frame, which is suitable for children over the age of 3. There are various shovels, buckets, and other toys with which the children can pass the time in the sand.

 

There is also a wide driving track for the use of bobby cars and balance bikes. Two large metal boxes on the side contain other toys such as balls, cones and tires that promote the children’s physical skills. There is a covered area that can be used in rainy weather, but also offers a variety of educational activities for the children. So-called activity boards, which are attached to the wall, offer an interesting activity for the children. There is also a painting station where the children can express themselves artistically.

Lindenthal Kindergarten

As part of the Family Center, we recently opened a Parents’ Café with inviting seating in the entrance area, where people can talk about various topics.

 

The outdoor area is also used for numerous events, including by the family center.

 

The professionals also attach great importance to the topic of sustainability and healthy nutrition. That is why they plant their own vegetables and fruit in the garden together with the children. The vegetable patch is tended by the children in their daily educational routine. The self-harvested vegetables are then processed by the children.

3. Materials

The age-appropriate educational materials offer the children of both groups exciting and varied play opportunities. Most of these are freely accessible to the children to enable them to act independently. By changing the materials on a regular basis, the children are always offered new learning stimuli.

In play, the children have the opportunity to give free rein to their creativity, to explore the environment and to actively engage with it. The children gain new experiences and make new social contacts. This effect is particularly achieved through the children’s free play and is encouraged and supported by the professional childcare team.

Bernhard

Some materials are only in the designated function rooms, e.g., various instruments in the music room, movement material in the multi-purpose room.

4. Activities

In Lindenthal, we follow a fixed group concept due to local conditions. The fixed groups enable the children to experience predictability and routines within a safe framework. Meal and quiet time is regularly spend in group settings.

At the same time, a cross-age encounter is initiated through joint pedagogical activities indoors and outdoors, which gives room to the natural curiosity of the younger and older children for each other and helps both age groups to further develop their social skills.

4.1 Pedagogical work

The child is always at the center of the pedagogical work and observation plays a decisive role in the planning of the pedagogical work. Based on the current interests of the children and occasion-related pedagogical situations and constellations, the professionals work closely as a team to develop thematic areas for the children that can be integrated into the annual cycle, and which are based on the existing curriculum.

In this way, we ensure that the children are able to deal with different traditional, cultural, and social topics in the course of a year and that the children are supported holistically in their development, taking into account the different areas of education. We incorporate various pedagogical directions into our work which, in the experience of our professionals, are best suited to strengthen the children in all their competences.

Pedagogical content is developed in close cooperation between the pedagogical staff, the administration and management of the facility as well as the headquarters, and ongoing processes are jointly reflected upon and adjusted as needed.

Daily morning circles and a regular early music program give the children access to music, rhythm, singing and movement in a playful and fun way.

The perception of one’s own body and movement are elementary educational areas in the daily work. Through a variety of activities, the children are given the opportunity to sensitize their perception of their body, to expand their motor skills and to express their urge to move. Both the outdoor area and the multi-purpose rooms are available for this purpose.

4.2 Daily routine

The daily routine in Lindenthal offers the children structure and security. The times can vary slightly depending on the groups. The same applies on days when special activities take place (excursions, projects, etc.).

In order not to interrupt the daily routine of the morning circle, we ask all parents to bring their children to the kindergarten by 9.30 am.

TimeProgram
08.00 Opening of the kindergarten
08.00 – 09.30Breakfast/ Arrival
09.30 – 10.00 Morning circle
10.00 – 11.30 Free play/ Activities/ Walk/ Garden time
11.30 – 13.00 Lunchtime
13.00 – 15.00 Quiet time/ Sleep time
15.00 – 15.30 Snack
15.30 – 17.00 Free play/ Activities/ Garden time
17.00Closing of the kindergarten

4.3 Language

Language teaching is immersive and follows the principles of translanguaging.

Detailed information on the cognitive principles and practical application can be found in our language concept.

4.4 Inclusion

In the year 2020, one of our pedagogical specialists successfully completed her training as a specialist for inclusion and integration and is responsible for the organization and implementation of inclusive work in our kindergarten.

Currently, one child with special inclusion needs is cared for in our day care center. Generally, inclusive care depends on the type of physical impairment.

4.5 Nutrition

Our kindergarten is supplied by a local caterer who prepares and delivers the hot lunch fresh daily. The weekly changing menu is child-friendly and well-balanced. Breakfast and healthy snacks for in-between meals are provided by the pedagogical staff.

he emphasis is on a varied and diverse offer. The menu at rainbowtrekkers is vegetarian. In the selection of food and the composition of our meals, the caterer follows the recommendations of the German Nutrition Society.

5. Participation and self-advocacy

5.1 Participation

“Participation means sharing decisions that affect one’s own life and life in the community and finding solutions to problems together.” (Richard Schröder)

Participation is an essential part of our pedagogical work. It is an expression of human and children’s rights, as well as the key to democracy and education in our day care center. At the same time, it is a significant quality feature of our institution.

Everyday pedagogical life in Lindenthal is designed with participation in mind. The children are involved by the professionals in the daily decision-making processes. The implementation is based on the five stages of participation according to Schröder. Both the design of the rooms and the pedagogical offering are carried out taking into account the interests and needs of the children.

Further information on the topic of participation in the day-care center can be found in our concept for the day-care center.

5.2 Self-advocacy

In our kindergarten we have a children’s parliament. Children and staff work together to develop “rules of procedure” that define the rights and duties of the young “parliamentarians”.

6. Transitions

Transitions are a challenging developmental task for children, which we sensitively structure and individually support in our kindergarten.

At the beginning of the kindergarten period there is always a settling-in phase, which is based on our own settling-in concept.

Übergänge Lindental

After one or two years in the Peek-a-boos group, there is a change to the Snugglebugs group, within which there is a special pre-school programme for children in the last year of kindergarten before they start school.

The internal transition from the Peek-a-boos group to the Snugglebugs group is gently designed and individually planned and prepared by the pedagogical professionals. It is facilitated by the fact that a child changing from the Peek-a-boos usually already knows a large part of the employees and other children of the Snugglebugs.

6.1 Pre-school support

The transition from kindergarten to school is a milestone in every child’s life. One of our goals is to prepare each child for school according to their development. In the last year of kindergarten, the preschool children in Lindenthal take part in a bilingual preschool program within the Snugglebugs group, which is jointly designed by multilingual professionals.

The development of the children with regard to their school readiness is particularly observed, documented, and regularly reflected upon with the parents. The “preschool year” is a challenging and exciting time for everyone involved, which is why close cooperation with those involved is all the more important.

7. Cooperation

Our kindergarten cooperates with the Hans-Christian-Andersen-Schule (Catholic primary school, Freiligrath Straße), which is also located in Lindenthal. The cooperation offers the possibility for children to gain a first impression of the school system and to exchange their skills and competences and to prepare them for starting school.

The cooperation with an international or English-speaking primary school is still under construction at this particular institution.

Meet the principal: Tiffany Garcia

My name is Tiffany Garcia, I come from California and I moved to Germany with my wife almost 7 years ago to work for rainbowtrekkers. I had the wonderful opportunity to start as a group leader in Widdersdorf when it first opened in 2016, then in 2018, I moved to Junkersdorf where shortly after I became the deputy principal. As of today, I am now working here in Lindenthal as principal and I am very much looking forward to the new tasks.

I’ve been working in Early Childhood Education for the past 20+ years, I’ve earned my Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education with a credential in Early Childhood Special Education. I love working with children and seeing their development, their carefree being, social and playful nature (even if they’re shy), and the way they are so curious about the world around them.

What do I do in my spare time, you ask?! I like to read, watch movies and hang out with family and friends, go dancing and cook and eat food…. I love food!

That’s it about me. I would love to get to know you.

Contact

rainbowtrekkers Lindenthal

Leitung: Tiffany Garcia

Dürener Straße 394
50935 Köln (Cologne), Germany
Tel.: +49-221-650 324 23
tiffany.garcia[at]rainbowtrekkers.de

Check our ratings at:

Members of:

Förderverein Frühe Bildung in der Kita
Transparente Zivilgesellschaft