Get your Schultüte Ready

Children living in Germany attend highly subsidized play-based nursery schools called kindergartens. They’re for kids ages 3-6. After a child turns six, they finish up the year in kindergarten and the following September, go to first grade in a grundschule.  

Tonight the six year-olds at the twins’ kindergarten were officially promoted. The children sang songs and put on a little play in Johanneskirche, the neighborhood cathedral. At the end of the program, the six year-olds walked through a colorful chuppah-esque creation into a sea of blown bubbles, wearing their brand new backpacks for first grade. The kids were so proud, and their parents were crying.