KinderHOUSE is a bilingual (German and English) parent initiative which cares for 24 boys and girls, of primary school age (from the first to the fourth grade) after school and during the holidays.
KinderHOUSE was founded as a registered association in 2002. Currently the third ‚generation‘ of parents is involved, as members of the association, in the running of KinderHOUSE. KinderHOUSE is situated in the centre of “Neuhausen” on the ground floor of a building in the secured area of the “Bruckmann Verlag” premises. The Mailingerstrasse (U1) underground station is nearby.
The 180 m2 premises consists of a large room for general use (common room), a playroom with a climbing-wall, a building and construction area with a football table, a disco room, an office, a kitchen with a seating area, a bathroom with two children’s toilets and one adult toilet, a pantry, a storage room, and the entrance hallway which doubles as a cloakroom. Although the facility itself does not include an outdoor area, there are two playgrounds nearby.
The team consists of three people: An educator leading the team, a second educator and an English-speaking team member. The team develops its educational goals from the multitude of constantly evolving educational possibilities available. The educational work builds itself around the KinderHOUSE children, both as individuals and as a group. The strengths and personalities of the three team members also influence the educational work at KinderHOUSE.
At KinderHOUSE the children learn to control their behaviour and their emotions. Their independence, openness and interests are developed and a responsible and respectful interaction with each other is encouraged. One of the main goals of the team is to create a familiar, honest, stabile and humorous atmosphere in which the children eagerly participate and which allows friendships to develop.
The children interact with each other, independent of age and gender, so that a homogenous group with a strong sense of community develops. These characteristics, reflected in the daily structures, give the children orientation and security. The children should finish their time at KinderHOUSE with a positive attitude towards life.