Kindergarten

One of our daily excursions here in Burgdorf is going to Kindergarten.  I drop Matthew and Chrissie off at 9:00am and pick them up around noon.  Usually their day consists of first Chrissie participating in a program that gets the Vorshulkinder ready for 1st grade while Matthew goes to the Halle for an activity.  Then after that they have breakfast with glass dishes and mineral water.  The rest of the day is either playtime with various activities or an outing.  Not a lot of rigorous exams or learning of letters or numbers.  The Germans do not want to rob little children of their childhood.  So school is a lot about playtime and learning to interact with other children.

 We almost always ride our bikes.  Matthew has been riding a two wheeler bike since September. Now he rides it standing up to go faster and when going down a hill he pedals and closes his eyes.  I chalk it up to the "like-a-bikes" they have here, it makes the transition so easy.  

 Matthew's "cubby."  They have their own spot to hang their coats, backpacks etc.  And of course underneath the bench is a spot for their house slippers and their shoes.  When they arrive to kindergarten they immediately take of their outside shoes and put on their "hausschuhe."

 I love the organization of it all.  Even for breakfast they have a system, which includes first everyone getting their cups/plates and then singing a song and then waiting until everyone has their drink/food and finally they can eat. 

The Playground or "Spielplatz."  

 I've mentioned before how in love I am with this playground.  Mainly because of the freedom it allows the kids.  They can play and get lost among the trees, bushes, and play structures.  I like that my kids are not being watched every second but they can explore and feel free among nature.    I have shown up a few times to find Chrissie and Matthew way up in a tree and a little too high up for my nerves.  But that's what I love

 During the summer these trees are covered with leaves and I've seen children exploring along this path finding little treasures.  

After dropping off Matthew and Chrissie, Jane and I head back home with a quick stop at the bakery to get Jane her favorite roll: a roll with little chocolate bits in it.