Introduction/specifics

About us:

The Thalermühle e.V. daycare center, founded in 1968, for children aged 10 months to 3 years, is run by a small, independent parents' association in cooperation with trained educators. As an association, we are an independent provider of youth welfare and are recognized as a non-profit organization.

The focus of our work is always the toddler with his or her individual needs, abilities, skills and interests.

One of our educational focuses is above all on loving relationship work, strengthening social relationships between children and creatively supporting children towards independence. For us, the focus is on responding to the individual development needs of each child and trusting in the potential of the children that develops in this educational and learning process.

We consciously do not see ourselves as a service company, but rely on the active commitment and independent commitment of the parents. The prerequisite for the functioning of a small parents' association is the commitment of the parents, their cooperation and participation. We would like parents to support the association with their ideas and individual possibilities. In addition to the free participation, there are also mandatory tasks (e.g. taking turns to provide breakfast for the children's group at regular intervals). Our facility does not just want to be a place to stay, but primarily a social experience and adventure space for children.

The crèche team:

Our 4-person educational team is made up of 2 teachers and 2 child care workers. The family atmosphere of our Thalermühle e.V. crèche is created on the one hand by the team's 20 years of collaboration and on the other hand by the loving and creative support of the children towards independence.

The employees' many years of professional experience ensure high-quality educational work.

Rooms

Our facility is located on the ground floor of an apartment building at Max-Planck-Straße 44 in Erlangen-Bruck. The children have 185 square meters at their disposal, which are divided as follows:

• 2 large group rooms
• 1 exercise room
• 1 bedroom
• 1 children's bathroom
• 1 large kitchen

For a precise description of our premises, see the concept on our homepage.

Outdoor Facilities

The outdoor area connected to the nursery offers the children a variety of learning experiences. By trying out sand, water, mud, wood chips, stones and other natural materials, the children can gain a variety of sensory experiences by loading, carrying around, shoveling and much more, and can test and develop their own abilities and skills. There is a walk-in wooden house that gives the children the option of retreating and role-playing. A large nest swing allows the children to experience a sense of community in addition to swinging and climbing in and out independently. The children can experience their own limits (speed of swinging, holding position, effort required to push the swing...). The children can ride, climb up and down, balance, jump, etc. on the climbing branch. In addition to the sandpit with its shovels, cups, etc., the children have other movable play equipment at their disposal (excavators, wheelbarrows, large buckets, Bobby Cars, etc.). Tables with built-in sandpits allow the children to play with sand while standing.

A raised bed invites them to try gardening and watering for the first time and thus promotes the joy of engaging with nature. Children watch vegetables, berries and herbs grow. The cycle of growth and decay can be experienced at eye level. At the end, they can harvest and of course taste it. The fact that edible things can be made yourself is another important contribution to learning about sustainability.

Outside the garden on the street there is a large private shed. Buggies, bike trailers and handcarts can be stored here.

Daily Schedule

from 07:30/08:00 drop-off time

08:30 - 09:30       free play

09:30                    breakfast

10:00 - 12:00       core educational time

12:00                    lunch

12:30 - 14:15        nap

14:00                    afternoon snack

14:30 - 16:00        core educational time

for a detailed description of our daily routine, please read from point 6 of our concept

Food

Snack and lunch as a shared ritual

A fixed and important part of our daily routine is eating together in the morning at 9:30 a.m., lunch at 12 p.m. and in the afternoon at 2 p.m. For snacks, we gather at the three tables in the group room. The children can choose their own place every day. There is no fixed seating arrangement. The seating arrangement often reveals the children's relationships and affection. We begin snacks with a shared table prayer.

The food or foods are tailored to the children's tastes. The parents bring the food for the whole group for a week. We then prepare a shared breakfast for all the children. We want the children to have a varied and balanced diet.

We handle food carefully, but let the children try different things until they know what they like, and offer them a certain choice so that they learn to choose according to their taste. In terms of food, we provide them with a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Our lunch is delivered fresh and warm. The food is plentiful. There are 2 menus on offer (one is vegetarian). It is important to us that it is regional and seasonal and tailored to the needs of the children.

Basics

Appreciation & trust

Only children who experience respect and appreciation reciprocate this to others. In the spirit of needs orientation, trust that each child knows best what it needs for its individual development. A secure bond with the educators and rituals not only creates self-confidence, but also allows the children to freely explore their surroundings and develop a love of learning.

Creativity & movement

Experimenting with different materials and other activities invite the children to discover their creativity. They explore their environment, imitate and try out new things on their own initiative. Movement is just as important, as children build their self-esteem through physical experience, among other things. Our rooms and the outdoor area provide enough space for this.

Interaction & language

Consciously talking to one another, listening and singing are fundamental to us. Language not only conveys thoughts and feelings, but also opens the way to other people. Everyday care tasks in peace and with respect serve as the basis for all further communication.

Gentle and careful acclimatization

Tolerance and openness

Allowing and observing growth

Warmth and security

Conscious experience of the seasons and nature

Teamwork with parents

Parents, education and parenting partnership

The Thalermühle daycare center sees itself as a family-complementary facility in which holistic education and training for the benefit of the child are the main focus. Parents are the first and most important people their child has with them. Pedagogical specialists support parents in their child's education and upbringing.

In order to be able to provide every child with the best possible support in their development, we rely on close partnership with parents. A trusting relationship with parents, characterized by openness and mutual respect, is required in order to be able to implement the educational mission in the best possible way. Contact with parents is maintained in a variety of ways.

We also use a variety of different options to ensure lively communication with parents. The documentation of our daily work gives an insight into everyday life in the daycare center. In regular development discussions, but also in short "door-to-door conversations", we exchange information with parents about their children in a structured and informal manner. While notices, parents' letters, parents' evenings and members' meetings refer to general topics of the daycare, we focus development discussions specifically on the individual child and his or her environment. At least once a year we offer parents such a discussion in which the child's development is examined together and ideas for further support are discussed.

Collaboration with parents in:
- Individual development discussions
- Documentation of the educational work and everyday life
- Regular members' meetings
- Thematic parent events

In addition, parents have a wide range of opportunities to get involved due to the structure of the association. We therefore want parents who take their shared responsibility for the small parents' association seriously and who want to support and help shape the association with their ideas and their individual possibilities in cooperation with the educational team. The general meeting usually takes place once a year and at least one parent should attend if possible. In addition, parents are surveyed annually as part of quality assurance.

Overview

Criteria for admission are:

• Sibling / former member
• Group structure
• Registration date

We would be happy to invite parents with children of the appropriate age to show them the premises and explain our educational concept. You can arrange an appointment with us at any time for a one-on-one meeting.