Today, Emma* is the first child. She comes with her daddy and is happy. The father hands her over and leaves. Emma* is really relaxed. She visits the on-site childcare since two weeks. At the beginning it was really hard for her to let her parents go. She is only 9 month old and was never ever cared by someone else outside her family. Emma* crawls through the small, cosy flat and looks after everything. She sees her mirror image in the stove. She smiles and laughs and then she kisses her mirror image. Now she wants back to me. I take her on my lap and we start to cuddle, she still needs the closeness. Then I belt on the baby carrier and she sleeps for about half an hour. Being outside with her mother, Emma* sits in the baby carrier and at home she sleeps in a crib. She hasn't yet learnt to sleep by her own. Because of the maximum of 5 children I have more possibilities to respond to the individual needs of a child.

Anton* arrives and brings a little digger which he directly converts into a combine harvester. At our deep-pile carpet he “mows” the blades of grass and explains the process of mowing and which machines are necessary at a farm and what happens to the straw after the mowing. Emma* sits on my lap and is really interested. Anton* is really used to the WIESENKNOPF on-site childcare and is an expert. Meanwhile he is going to kindergarten but it's closed and for him it is like vacation or meeting old friends.

Later I put Emma* into the baby carrier. Anton* put on his shoes and his jacket and we are going outside. On the way he finds a loose stone. He takes his digger and freights the stone onto its place on the way burrows it with the sand laying around very deep. This costs a bit of time but everything must be correct and Anton* is a perfectionist. A few metres away we stop at a building lot and Anton* is fascinated how the crane with the help of the builder picks up new material and let loose on another place. This sight is inspirating so that he himself wants to build a house. He takes loose stones and stacks them as high as possible until the house is finished. Done! And he was faster than any builder!

Today we don't get to the playground but if there is so much to discover on the way... and tomorrow there is another day.

After our discovery tour I warm up the meals while Anton* goes to the toilet and washes his hands. After lunch Emma* is picked up. Tired but happy she crawls to her mother. Just before going to bed, Anton and I, we read a book about vehicles. No detail gets lost. “This is a crawler excavator”, “this is a bulldozer and this is a wheelbarrow” and “what is the builder doing there?”, “look, there is a cat at the building lot!”. Anton* needs some time to sleep but then he sleeps 1-2 hours. After waking up he wants to stay in bed and as he is ready, I help him out of his bed. Before having “vesper”, he goes to the toilet and I help him putting his clothes on. Anton* eats with huge appetite and in the meantime “explains” what he can see on the pictures on our wall. After having “vesper” his mother picks him up.

A beautiful day comes to an end and tomorrow we meet again for new, fascinating and interesting things!

The magnificient and noble accommodations in the Marbachstraße invite you to play, to romp, to hide and to discover - but also offers much space for imagination, kiddy ideas and art! This shapes our work as a childcarer in on-site establishments: we distinguish ourselves by a strong creative orientation. Next to the daily routines just as shared meals, playing and discovering together, being a lot of time outdoorsy – either in parks or at the playground,  the child and the carer encounter each other on a creative basis.

As a pedagogue in arts I think it is important that a child gets the offer to discover the world with all senses. By collecting different materials this is supported: feeling, seeing, hearing and smelling and sometimes even tasting! While collecting sensual experience fine motor skills, eyes and hands coordination and orientation in the room is trained without a awkward force for the child. The path is the destination selected by the child itself: children are designing with an easiness and without thinking too hard. Out of its own impulse it is seldom about reaching a specific goal but rather the process is important for them. The kids are able to try out and have first experience with handling different materials or – for elder kids – to deepen it, to unfold phantasy, to develop a first sense of colours and shapes, to strengthen the concentration but also to support the verbal skills. With all positive side effects fun via trial and error is the most important aspect of everything. Everything is possible but nothing is a duty.

While working for WIESENKNOPF for me it is important to use things sustainable. The focal point is not to use expensive or particular material but rather in using natural things and what can be developed from it. Next to products which might be thrown into the bin (such as rests of  colours and papers, boxes, pegs, corks, packaging material) the handling of natural sources plays a big role for me. In the park we can collect sticks, leaves, stones, chestnuts, acorns, cones, earth, sand and so on and we can experiment with these materials.

We are pleased about every new little explorer!