Munich Kids

The Eltern-Kind Zentrum (Parent-Child Center) in Schwabing/Maxvorstadt is a lovely little community center.  Every day, excluding Sunday, EKZ offers something for parents and children. For example, there are two baby groups on Monday morning, and a mini-kindergarten for three hours in the afternoon.  Mini-kindergarten is also held on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.  Childcare (with pre-registration) is available from 9:00-12:00 on Tueday morning.  On Friday mornings, there are 2 play groups in English.  From 9:15 - 10:30, the group is for infants 0 -18 months, and their caregivers.  From 10:30 - 12:00, toddlers 18 months and older and their caregivers meet.  Friday afternoons alternate between a play group for Spanish speakers and a play group for speakers of Chinese. A music class is available on Saturday mornings. On several afternoons a week, there are open meetings for parents and children to get together over coffee and cake.  (The previous information is based on the program January - April, 2007).

Children can attend the mini-kindergarten one day per week.  The cost is only 25 EUR per month (for approx. 12 hours of care!).  The number of spaces available are small, so you need to put your name on the waiting list.  

The center consists of a large playroom, some office space, and a bathroom.  It is cozy, but very comfortable.  The playroom is fully stocked with all manner of toys, balls, art materials, etc.  There is a small couch for the kids and a big couch for the parents.  There are also children’s tables and highchairs available so your kids can have lunch or a snack while attending one of the groups.  The environment is very friendly, casual, and welcoming. 

Membership is 30 Euro per year.  Members pay only 1,50 EUR per structured group (no extra cost for siblings).  Non-members pay 3,00 EUR per meeting.  Questions regarding child care, kindergarten, membership,and other themes, can be answered during office hours on Tuesday from 4:00 - 5:00.  A quarterly program can be picked up on site on on the website

Address:  Schraudolph Strasse 10

Phone:  (089) 27 81 89 74

Website:  http://elkischwabing.googlepages.com/home

Parent-Child Initiatives (Eltern-Kind Initiav) are a good option for child care and early schooling of your young child.   As indicated by the name, an Eltern-Kind Initiativ is initiated, run, and managed by a group of parents.  Iniatives can be preschools, typically for children between 3 and 6 years old, or a combination of preschool and daycare center for children between 1 and 6 years old. 

Parents who start an initiative decide on a common philosophy of priorities for care and education.  Parents locate a site for the initiative, hire the staff, advertise, and manage all of the work that comes with running a business enterprise.  Typically, there is a board of parents who look after the major details.  Remaining parents volunteer for other jobs, such as grounds maintenance or office hours.  Once an initiatve has been started, the parents involved will change as children outgrow the center or families move out and new families move in. 

Most iniatives hold an application process in the early Spring for spaces that are anticipated to be available in the Fall.  Most spaces are reserved for children by age and gender in order to maintain a demographic balance in the classroom.  For example, a school may say that they have 3 spaces for boys ages 3-5 in the Fall, when they know that 3 of their older students will be moving on to elementary school.  Class size at Eltern-Kind Initiatives is small.  A limit of 14 students with at least two adults is typical.  Eltern-Kind Initiatives are subsidized by the government, helping to keep costs down.  Typical costs range from 250-350 EUR per month for full-day classrooms. 

In Munich, there appears to be a dearth of daycare and kindergarten spaces relative to the demand.  Thus, competition for available spots is strong.  The number of Initiatives that are conducted in English, or bilingual English-German is even smaller.  In order to get a spot in September: start researching schools in early Winter so that you can put your name on a waiting list in January; complete applications in February; and attend open houses in March.  The more places you apply to, the greater your chances of receiving a spot.  However, several initatives require a non-refundable application fee, so you might have to be choosy.  There is an excellent website that lists all of the Eltern-Kind Initatives in Munich by neighborhood. Information on hours, prices, amenities, and educational philosopy are included.  The website is in German only.

 http://www.elterninitiativen-muenchen.de/pages/main.htm

There are 3 magazines that are widely available in Munich that are written for parents: Kitz, Mampa, and Eltern.  All 3 are written in German. 

 Kitz

“Kitz” is an events magazine for parents living in Munich and the surrounding areas.  It provides a comprehensive list of all the events, activities, groups, classes, and resources available to you and your children.  There are several, brief articles and summaries that highlight special events or activities.  Other articles provide advice or insight into common problems of childhood and parenthood.  The advertisements are a good resource as well.  You may not be aware of the number of shops, schools, services, camps, radio shows, classes, etc. that are available for you and you children.  The magazine is edited by Ulf  and Elke von Sparre, parents of 5 children. No wonder they saw the need for this type of resource! 

The only drawback is that the magazine is entirely in German.  However, the format is pretty simple.  I would guess that with a basic grasp of German and some patience, you could easily utilize the magazine.  The magazine is free and can be picked up at various places that cater to children and parents.  I usually pick up my copy at one of several Hopfisterei bakeries.  There are also usually a few copies available at my son’s kindergarten or at the library. The website lists other places where you can pick up the magazine.  Alternatively, you can have it delivered to your door for a subscription price of 15,00 EUR.  The magazine is published every two months.

Website:  http://kitz-magazin.de

Mampa

“Mampa” is similar to Kitz in that it provides family-related articles and information, as well as a calendar of events.  On its website, Mampa describes itself as the magazine for active families, with “Lifestyle, Travel, Adventure, Freetime, and Life” as its major topics.  Like Kitz, Mampa  is also a rich resource for finding advertisers that are selling  family-related products and services.   The focus of Mampa is more on the articles and less on the calendar of events than is Kitz.  Most articles are short, about a half a page, so even if you struggle with reading German, you should be able to understand the gist of an article of interest, without too much trouble.  This magazine is also free and is published every two months. 

Website:  http://www.mampa.net

Eltern

Eltern is a third magazine written for parents and families.  In Eltern, parents can find advice on: pregnancy and birth, raising children, health and nutrition, psychology, careers, travel, and many more topics.  An online-shop on the website provides an opportunity to buy child and family-related products. 

Website:  http://www.eltern.de

In addition to the theaters reviewed in this section, there are several theaters that occasionally show English language movies.  A list of these theaters and their addresses can be found on the Munich Found website.  Search under “English cinema”.

http://www.munichfound.com

Most of the movies at the Forum are screened in German.  However, it offers a giant screen, 3D movies, digital projection, and Dolby surround sound.  Also, every second Friday, they reserve one of the theaters for parents with young babies, ages 0-8 months.  This is called “Bebidabei Kino”. Because every adult in theater has brought a young baby, you don’t have to worry if yours starts crying in the middle of the movie.  No one is going to shush you. They’ll be empathizing with you.  The drawback, of course, is that you’re going to be watching a movie in a theater full of babies. The movies start at 10:30. There is a 15-minute break in the middle of the movie to allow time for nursing the baby or changing a diaper.

Address:  Museuminsel 1, 80538 Munich

Ticket reservation:  089 211 25 200

Website:  http://www.forumamdeutschenmuseum.de/

Nearest Public Transportation:  S1-S8, Isartor; Tram 18, Deutsches Museum

Museum Lichtspiele is not a museum, but a movie theater. It offers several original-version, English-language movies, as well German-language movies, and movies dubbed into German.  A few cult classics, including The Rocky Horror Picture Show have been shown regularly for years.  Museum Lichtspiele has 4 small theaters, with seating for 54-95 moviegoers, depending on the theater.  The theaters are small, and the sound system is not the most modern available. However, it is a quaint, enjoyable theater with an artsy feel to it.  There is almost always at least one children’s film showing on the weekly program.   The have a very useful website, but it is all in German, including the movie summaries of English-language movies.  You can frequently see original-version movies here that have long since stopped playing at some of the major theaters.

Address:  Liliennstrasse 2, 81669 Munich

Phone:  089 48 24 03

Website:  http://www.museum-lichtspiele.de/cms/

Nearest Public Transportation:  S1-S8, Isartor or Rosenheimer Platz; Tram 17 & 18 

Cinema is the largest English-language movie theater in Munich.  It has all the amenities of a good, modern movie theater, including digital projection, THX sound system with Dolby surround sound and air conditioning.  There is only one theater, with 427 seats.  For very popular movies, you may want to reserve your tickets ahead of time.  Tickets can be purchased up to one week in advance. They offer sneak previews on Fridays and double features on Saturday.  They frequently offer Kinder Kino on the weekends, when they have an animated film or other kid’s film on offer.  They have an excellent website that is meticulously maintained and updated on a weekly basis.  For movie descriptions and showtimes, visit the web site.

Address:  Nymphenburger Strasse 31, Munich

Phone:  089 55 52 55

Website:  http://www.cinema-muenchen.com/englisch/default.htm

 Nearest Public Transportation:  U1, Stiglmaierplatz, exit Nymphenburger Strasse