A week of gardening adventures at ylaa

The week kicked off with excitement at both baby and preschool groups at ylaa Hauensteinstrasse, as children begun their journey into the world of gardening.

The preschoolers were introduced to basic botanical concepts through interactive storytelling and age- appropriate visuals.

Children boarded the tram and headed to the local garden center, where they could explore nature from a different aspect. Carefully chose seeds, pots, and soil for the flowers. The Wolves made sure to scan and pay for the items at the self- checkout, which enhanced children’s understanding of the world around them.

The following day, it was time to plant the seeds! Children could use small shovels, or their hands to put the soil into the pot, whilst exploring the composition and texture of the soil, which also benefited their hand and eye coordination and fine motor skills.

The preschool group embarked on a delightful excursion to a nearby garden, where they eagerly collected leaves from the ground for a leaf painting and mark making activity, ensuring the opportunity for children to express their creativity.

The Wolves group faced a challenged during their race, where they had to run and carry laminated vegetables and fruits from the garden, using a shovel. The unexpected wind required children even more to use their creativity and problem- solving skills, whilst cheering for each other next to the racetrack.

These activities didn’t just benefited children’s understanding of nature and gardening, but also developed essential skills, such as expanded their vocabulary, teamwork, resilience, and gross motor skills, laying the foundation for their growth and learning journey ahead.

Easter Egg Hunt in Hauensteinstrasse

Ylaa Hauensteinstrasse hosted their Easter Egg Hunt and invited the parents to join in the festive fun. Basking in glorious spring weather, we ventured outdoors for an array of delightful activities. From the classic egg hunt scattered across the main open field to the challenge of balancing eggs, and even had the possibility to decorate some eggs.

We also enjoyed a delightful picnic in our front yard, where children, parents and teachers gathered together to savor a delectable array of food and drinks amidst the vibrant atmosphere.

Exploring the world around us through trips

Our preschoolers from the Wolves group are always ready to embark on a thrilling educational trip, where they have opportunities to explore the world beyond the classroom, whilst promoting children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. Positive memories from excursions across the city can also inspire children to pursue new interests and hobbies.

The Wolves trip to the zoo offered a unique opportunity for children to connect with animals and admire the beauty of the natural world. The preschoolers had the chance to walk with the penguins, which allowed the children to witness the wildlife up close.

However, the Jungle exhibition ensured a different experience for the preschool group. The moment children walked into the main room, children’s faces immediately lit up with excitement and couldn’t wait to jump in the giant ball pit. The preschoolers also walked through a maze and listened to different animal sounds along the way.

On St. Nicholas day, December 6th the Wolves group visited our local department store, and they embarked on a unique story telling experience. Initially, the children without the aid of a book, simply listened to the storyteller, encouraging children to rely on their imagination and creative thinking. Eventually, at the very end of the story, our preschoolers were invited to look at the pictures to enhance their visualization of the storyline. Furthermore, children could explore a variety of toys at the mall and the main attraction was St. Nicholas himself.

Children eagerly engaged in writing a letter to Santa, including their wishes in it. The Wolves group went on a special mission to find the nearest post office and send their letters to Santa’s home, to the North Pole.

The Wolves group went to the Christmas market, as the last trip of the year 2023. Where children were looking at the Christmas tree and pointed at the colorful ornaments. After walking through the market, finding Santa, reindeers and balloons, the preschoolers gathered around the chimney and had lovely festive snack.

Memorable trips are enriching children’s educational experiences and fostering various aspects of their development.

Sammiclaus has visited us!!!

The children had been wondering for days whether their behavior warranted a visit from Samichlaus. On St.Nicholas’ Day their first task was to ensure that their shoes were clean and neatly arranged. During their circle time, joyous chimes of bells announced his arrival! Yessss, he was here! Overwhelmed with excitement, they erupted into Christmas songs, singing and dancing in his honor. Their efforts were met with approval, and in return, Samichlaus bestowed upon them a collection of toys.

Afterwards, Samichlaus asked about the cleanliness of their shoes and he fortunately had another surprise for them. Rushing to check, the children discovered with delight that clementines and Gratimann had been delicately placed within! What a splendid day it turned out to be! Until the next year, Samichlaus!!! Thank you for everything!

First Aid Courses 2023

In November, our two first aid course days “Emergencies in Children” took place in Adliswil.
Practical exercises for alerting, chain of survival, recognising the various symptoms of a heart attack/stroke, etc. were taught to our motivated employees.

Another very important item on the program was resuscitation for children and adults. This is a very important point, as there are differences between infants and adults regarding the application of pressure during resuscitation. In this context, the defibrillator was also used repeatedly, and the corresponding handling was explained in detail.

It has been shown that the practical part and the associated repeated repetition in groups and different staged emergency situations is mandatory, on the one hand to overcome certain fears of contact and on the other hand to be able to act immediately correctly and purposefully in an emergency.

Community professions role-play

In the past month, the preschoolers in our wolf group embarked on an exciting journey exploring community professions, which turned out to be an incredibly enriching experience. Through community professions role-play, our young learners not only had a blast but also reaped a multitude of educational benefits. This imaginative play significantly contributed to their cognitive development, nurtured social and emotional growth, sparked creativity, honed motor skills, deepened their understanding of the world, instilled respect for diversity, improved communication skills, cultivated a sense of responsibility, and prepared them for real-life scenarios. Most importantly, it infused their learning with sheer delight and enthusiasm.

Within our classroom, we transformed the space into a bustling international airport, where the children eagerly stepped into the roles of passengers. They enthusiastically bought tickets, proudly displayed their imaginative passports, and embarked on exciting pretend flights, all while immersing themselves in the world of aviation.

On the other hand, our outdoor garden became the scene of a thrilling emergency, as our wolf firefighters sprang into action to extinguish small fires. The children embraced their roles with enthusiasm and dedication, truly immersing themselves in the experience. Their laughter and engagement were infectious, and they absolutely loved every moment of it.

These activities have left a lasting impact on our young learners, who continue to discuss and relive their adventures.

Kita ylaa Bruderholz Hauensteinstr. had an exciting visit

We were all very excited when Renato visited us and brought gifts for all of us on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of kidéal-kitas. During this celebration, we also had a chance to talk with each other. The children could play with their friends from other groups and eat a delicious homemade cake. It was a very nice afternoon for everyone!

The Expat-Expo in Basel

On Sunday, 29.01.2023, ylaa was represented at the Expat-Expo in Basel. Various service providers from all over Basel and the surrounding area use the opportunity of the Expo to introduce themselves to the Anglophone community and help families to feel at home faster.

At our booth we were able to welcome many interested parties and our wheel of fortune turned diligently.

We would like to thank everyone who visited us and are happy about the new contacts we were able to make.

ylaa is at the Expat-Expo!

On Sunday, 29.01.2023, ylaa will present itself at the Expat-Expo at the Congress Center at Messe Basel.
But what exactly is the Expat Expo? Here is an excerpt from the official website:

“Expat-Expo is a one-day, admission-free event for the English-speaking residents of Switzerland. Our event gathers various local, English-speaking businesses, organisations, museums, clubs and service providers together, under one roof to showcase their goods and services. Integrating into a new country can be a daunting process and Expat Expo is designed to help the Anglophone community feel quickly at home here. Expat-Expo contributes greatly to the successful integration of newly arrived families and veteran expats alike and reduces the stresses of integration.”

We also want to make our contribution to making expats feel at home in Switzerland more quickly by finding a place where they can entrust their children to our pedagogically valuable child care.

Come and visit us at our table number 68 right next to the bouncy castle.

We are already looking forward to seeing you.