Zuckertütenclub (School Starters)

In our Kita, we have a special club for our future school starters, known as the "Zuckertütenclub" (named after the traditional school cones filled with treats given to children on their first day of school).

Every child who will start school the following summer is invited to join. The club begins in spring and offers exciting projects, topics to explore, and the chance for the "big kids" to spend some exclusive time together.

Why we do not offer traditional "preschool classes":

We deliberately do not conduct classic "preschool lessons." The educational plan of our state, Brandenburg, mandates that Kitas guide children on their path to becoming participative, responsible, and self-determined individuals. Our entire daily work is designed to help children grow into their own unique personalities. A formal preschool program, however, often dictates topics from the "top down" and follows a rigid timetable.

We are fully aware of how the school system functions and that the skills required there do not always align with how we nurture and guide children in modern Kitas. To put it clearly: The systems in which children are viewed and supported in Kitas versus schools are hardly compatible anymore. It would require the legislature to adjust both forms of education to harmonize them.

However, as a Kita, we cannot and will not discard our conviction of how children learn best simply to fit them into the school system. Doing so would mean losing our authenticity and compromising our credibility with the children.

What this means in practice:

Instead of a fixed lesson where all children must practice cutting with scissors at the same time, we explore exciting topics together. Within these projects, children naturally practice using scissors safely as a byproduct of their activity. It has been proven that children learn better and retain information longer when they are genuinely interested in the subject. We want to utilise this intrinsic motivation.

Therefore, we also gladly pick up on the spontaneous ideas and interests of the children in the club. This allows us to do them justice while teaching them competencies for life — and, of course, for school.