Werdervorstadt • „Leisure time is not about doing nothing, but about doing what we don’t usually do.” This is the motto of the “Frei-Zeit-Hort” of the Kita gGmbH. Here, we promote positive interaction among children, encouraging them to do good for one another and to develop freely in the process. This is achieved sustainably in our modern after-school care facility at the Kita gGmbH, whose concept is tailored specifically to elementary school children.

We practice Open Work: In doing so, we take into account the individual play, learning, movement, and rest needs of the children. The boys and girls learn autonomy and how to manage their own time as well as the time of others. They choose from a variety of activities, spaces, and people, develop skills, and pursue individual interests and talents. "When the child stands laughing in the schoolyard, deciding for themselves where to go – between homework, extracurricular activities, and free play, never feeling overwhelmed." This is a line of poetry describing the facility.

After school, children should have real free time to play and discover – on 780 square meters across 14 functional rooms. They can build, cook, research, or engage in sports. Participation in the daily life of our after-school care is essential, even in projects. For example, the children once expressed a desire to work as architects and use egg cartons for their house construction – and so it was done: In a two-year project, they created a large house out of more than 5,000 egg cartons – complete with a front yard and interior furnishings. The ideas for this project were brought forth by the children themselves, who discussed, tested, planned, discarded unsuitable plans, and weighed new possibilities for the design. In this way, our children develop an awareness of their own needs and their environment.

All of this takes place on the ground floor of the “Nordlichter” elementary school at Lake Ziegelsee in Schwerin, where our “Frei-Zeit-Hort” is located. The spacious schoolyard with its playground equipment and modern sports facilities provides ample space for outdoor leisure activities.