After the children gradually settled in, almost all the places are now occupied. Mayor Frank Frühauf visited the forest daycare center to talk to the director Christoph Nilges and his team and, above all, to see how enthusiastic the children are about being in the forest and exploring their surroundings.
The central meeting point for drop-off and pick-up times is a construction trailer that has been specially designed for these needs. As in other facilities, there are tables for crafting and painting, a book corner, a raised area with a cozy corner, a small kitchenette and, of course, a child-friendly toilet. However, the actual play and learning area is the Dietzenwald forest, where the children play freely and creatively with the materials found there. True to the motto: there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing, the children are out and about in the forest every day, in every season, whatever the weather. Because children love to romp in the mud, jump in puddles or play with ice and snow. As they are constantly on the move, they have few problems with wet and cold.
During his visit, the Lord Mayor brought all the children a small gemstone and afterwards they proudly presented him with their shelter made of branches and the slide on the forest floor, which they enthusiastically climb and slide down again and again. "It's really nice to see the children's joy when they are out in nature, being creative, exploring and, above all, getting as dirty as they like," says Frühauf, describing his observations during the visit.