When I first heard about ANOHA Berlin – the Jewish Museum’s brand new kids’ museum in Berlin – I jumped at the chance to take my daughters. A year later, I finally managed to snag us some tickets.
Category Archive: Kids in Berlin
Energy-saving tips for families in Germany – from the experts at EnviroSustain
Winter is coming. And while we all hope that the Berlin winter doesn’t resemble an icy episode of Game of Thrones, we’d like to be prepared for anything. So we chatted to some experts to get their best energy saving tips for you to use…
Parental benefits in Germany – what are they and what’s the difference?
There seem to be parental benefits coming out of your ears when you’re a parent in Germany. It’s just a bit of a nightmare figuring out what they all mean and whether you have access. We’ll take you through it.
Berlin’s “Secret Park” hidden oasis – your 1-minute tour inside
Did you know there’s a completely secret oasis – aka Berlin’s “Secret Park” – concealed in the bustling Monbijou quarter of Berlin Mitte?
Einschulung: the German school-starting party to end all parties
Einschulung, noun: the process in which your little bundle of joy is initiated into the German school system. This is an absolute rite of passage in Germany and many deem it, rather poetically, “the end of childhood”. It may cost more than Christmas.
Outdoor swimming pools in Berlin – How to get your VIP ticket entry
Have you tried visiting any of the outdoor swimming pools in Berlin on a hot day recently? ☀️ …Did you bring the kids and stand in line without a ticket? Were there tears? 🙈 Do you now require couple’s therapy?
… Read more
The Kita Crisis – where we’re at in summer 2019
Back in 2014, I visited a handful Kitas while 5 months pregnant. I signed up at a few. I emailed my desired Kita every 8 weeks for a year after the initial meeting. I applied for a childcare voucher (Kitagutschein) 9 months early, the earliest possible date you can apply. When it arrived, we emailed it directly to our Kita of choice. It was a full-time voucher (7-9 hours). It seemed we ticked the right boxes, for a day after doing this, my daughter got an offer for a full-time spot. In the weeks that followed, we were offered a place in three other Kitas for the upcoming summer. I patted myself on the back for my superior organisational skills and that was that. But that was then and this is now.
Mauerfall (Fall of the Berlin Wall) – 30 years later
November 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berliner Mauer, the wall that divided Germany’s capital city for around 28 years. Berlin will host a whole series of events throughout 2019, in particular throughout November, to take a look back at the events that unfolded. If you plan to be around in the fall of 2019, it’s going to be a pretty special time to be in Berlin. … Read more
Summer in Berlin
Happy summer, everyone! Here’s an update of what’s going on around here.
Nachwuchs
I’m expecting to welcome a baby girl into the world in late August or early September. This means I’m out of action from the beginning of July 2018 until … some time in the autumn, and then part-time after that. Luckily for you, the wheels will all keep on turning even while I am away and all services will still be available.
Life Admin
Our newest service is proving popular with small and medium-sized business owners who want support communicating with authorities for their employees, people who have to deal with the unemployment agency and people who receive letters they don’t understand and don’t quite have the mind space to figure out on their own. Additionally, we’ve helped people try to track down paperwork for long-lost relatives, organised specialist medical care in situations where clear communication is crucial and wrapped up affairs for expats leaving Germany (contract terminations, deregistration, etc).
The Best Ice-Cream in Berlin
Cons: If you can’t stand long lines, Prenzlauer Berg parents and 1.60 EUR scoops, don’t go.
Pros: if you want truly sensational flavours, just give in and go. Be that Prenzlberg mum. I know I am. Now in Pankow and Prenzlauer Berg.
The Berlin Summer Card for Swimming Pools
This is an absolute bargain if you think you’ll be visiting the outdoor pools. 70 EUR (60 EUR earlybird price) for 20 pool visits. It’s a laminated card, it’s transferrable, and the best bit is that you get to jump the queue. In my opinion, even if you and your family don’t quite make it to the pool 20 times over the summer, it’s still worth it to jump the queue. This card is only for the outdoor pools – you can find a list of them and more information here.
Wishing you all a sensationally hot summer in Berlin! This is the season when all the tourists fall in love with the city and desperately want to stay. Are you one of them? We’re happy to help you find a way to stick around in Berlin.
Will My Baby Be German?
Congratulations on getting through your pregnancy and birth in Berlin! Once you’ve registered the birth of your lovely new arrival and you have the birth certificate in your hot little hands, your next bureaucratic move will probably be determining her citizenship. Or if she’s extra lucky, citizenships.
Though your little bundle of joy will most likely inherit your and your partner’s citizenships by descent, he might not necessarily get German citizenship just because he was born in Germany. Then again, he might. Here are some situations where your baby could be eligible for German citizenship:
How to get your new baby a German residence permit
Step 1. Have baby.
Step 2. Recover.
Step 3. Get your baby’s citizenship and passport sorted.
Step 4. Get your baby a residence permit!
Before reading on, you should know that we’ve made a few assumptions about you and your family:
Getting a Kindergarten (Kita) Spot in Berlin
Berlin families with kids might need to stay on the ball when looking for a kindergarten spot (Kitaplatz) in Berlin. While some European cities have fabulous online systems for registration and streamlined administration processes, Berlin does not fall into this category. There is no centralized system. In some parts of Berlin, there is a severe shortage of Kita spots available, and the waiting lists are up to 2 years long. In other areas, or just by coincidence, you might find a place within weeks.
Should I make enquiries in Berlin before my child is born?