Children in action

6 June was a turbulent day for the 23 “Movement Kindergartens” in Aachen: Round about 1 200 children attended the “Day of the Mini Sports Certificate”, a project initiated by Stadtsportbund Aachen e.V. Children got to know different kinds of sports activities and, most importantly, had a lot of fun and experienced personal achievements.

The Studierendenwerk Childcare Center Sonnenstrahl had some important visitors on that day: Stadt Aachen, Stadtsportbund Aachen e.V. and the project partner STAWAG came by to present the sports certificate to the press together with the teachers and children. They showed the visitors a movement course with different stations, such as hopping, walking on a beam, scoring goals and throwing balls. The little sportsmen and –women could be proud of themselves: Each of them received a medal in the end.

Recognized as Movement Kindergarten since 2011
Five years ago, Childcare Center Sonnenstrahl received the certification “Anerkannter Bewegungskindergarten des Landesportbundes NRW“. Studierendenwerk, that runs Sonnenstrahl and four more childcare centers, and Stadt Aachen see the importance in promoting physical education in childcare centers. “For children who grow up with sports and who are motorically skilled learning and understanding is often easier than for other children”, says Petra Prömpler, head of the Sports Department of Stadt Aachen. Especially today, it is important to offer children an alternative to couch, smartphone and laptop. Dirk Reitz, the manager of Studierendenwerk Aachen, is of the same opinion. “There are movements many children have to relearn. Therefore, physical education has been a fixed part of our pedagogical concept for years.”

Cooperation with sports clubs
Björn Jansen, Chairman of Stadtsportbund (City Sports Association) explains the criteria a childcare center has to meet in order to be able to be a Movement Kindergarten. There has to be enough space and special qualifications of the teachers are necessary. Another requirement is a connection to a local sports club. The Childcare Center Sonnenstrahl creates new offers of physical education in cooperation with BTW Aachen in Burtscheid. For Jansen, movement is a basic need that not only belongs in the childcare center but also in everyday life outside the center.