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There are playgrounds everywhere in our neighborhood – Swings, Sandpits, Slides, Climbing Frames, Seesaws – Everything – And then there is this small muddy playground around the corner – We pass it a few times per week on our way to school – Just a carousel with some big ropes – Some really big branches on the ground – And a whole lot of mud – But the girls – The girls love it there – Hanging in the ropes – They can easily hang in there for an hour or so – And having fun! – Laughs all around – More than in any other playground anywhere 

Sparrow

There’s two species that dominate Berlins summers. Sparrows and Wasps. It’s been many times this summer we had to change places or leave a terrace, because circled by these small striped insects. I do get nervous when the wasps around the kids. And those Berlin sparrows, those guys really are as cheeky as can be. You can’t turn your back on anything eatable.

Today they were totally lurking us at Kiezkind. Just chilling out with some sausage sandwiches and mango lassies. They almost got hold of Lou’s lunch. Nothing that can make her more mad than trying to steal her food, especially when sausages. She completely told them off, those sparrows

 

Water

Still steaming hot. We can’t do a thing about it, but trying to cool down. We go by Tiny Store, they understand what children need and have a whole bunch of filled up water balloons in front of their store. After done throwing we head over to Volkspark am Weinberg to play in their cold water fountain

Birthday

Today is my dad’s birthday. He actually isn’t a big birthday celebrator. Since it’s his 60^th he decided to celebrate it, but only on his terms. This means this day is about four little leading ladies in his life. This means we celebrate his birthday at big playground Oud Valkeveen.

We used to come here often when I was a kid myself, so we all have good memories here from our childhood and now we will make those good memories for our little ones as well. We have a great day, picnicking in the sun taking turns going on the slides, trampolines, swing or merry-go-round with the girls.

Saarbrücker Straße

The playground closest to our home is the one on Saarbrücker Straße. Even though it’s a very nice playground we don’t really often go there, only on my way back from groceries and when a bit in a hurry we sometimes go here for a little while when I think they haven’t been out enough. It’s a playground like there are so many in Berlin, or at least in the Eastern part of Berlin, on an open space on the corner of two streets. I always assume that there used to be houses on these places that have been destroyed somewhere in the rural history of Berlin. These playgrounds are mostly stuck between two blind walls, which seems to always inspire street artist to decorate them with some graffiti. Sometimes really amazing, mostly just a whole bunch of tags and letters. The big disadvantage and reason why we don’t often visit this playground is that the sun shines here only for a short time a day. We’ll probably be here more again once winter starts and all the other playgrounds are just a block too far away.

Schendelgasse

The playground at Schendelgasse is another of our favorite playgrounds. Not the playground itself it what attracts us that much –it probably is one of the least fancy playground in the area and could really use a bit of paint-, but the area around it that makes it a good place to spend out weekend in and around. It’s situated next to the Alte Schoenhauserallee and this gives us the opportunity to go out with the whole family, have breakfast together, let the girls entertain themselves and have mum and dad run errands in turns like going to the hair dresser, Flip Flop, &other stories or one of the other good places this street and the surrounding streets hold.

The best place for breakfast in the Alte Schoenhauser is definitely Zeit fur Brot. No weekend passes without us visiting this place for either a full breakfast including some yoghurt and sandwiches, just a cup of coffee or a cappuccino together with their ab-so-lute specialty (something you must absolutely try when in this area): their Zimtschnecken, which are the most fluffy cinnamon rolls I’ve ever tasted. Very sticky business, but so good. They also come with marzipan, white cholate or maple and walnut, but for me the original cinnamon ones are the very best.

And while we have our breakfast, coffee or snack, the girls are happy to entertain themselves on the swing, slides or in the huge sandpit.

Krausnickpark

Hidden away behind a big gate on the Oranienburgerstrasse we found this beautiful and serene courtyard. For us it really is a little paradise. Children are playing; parents are lying down in the grass or reading their book on a bench. When it’s really hot there even are children’s paddling pools for the little ones to cool off. Even on a hot day like today it seems as if the air is a little bit fresher here. We are very, very happy to have found this magnificent place and will be found here much more often on the hot Berlin summer days. 

  

Dirt

After grocery shopping we stop by at the water playground. For the first time in our Berlin history I was actually prepared for this. Old jeans, extra vests and trousers. It’s a pretty busy day today with children of all ages from 0 to 6. Sitting there watching all the playing happening I am wondering. Why is it that my kids somehow, by far, are the most dirty kids at this playground? They really, really are and I am wondering if this has to do with me – should I teach to not get dirty? – or with them – are they dirt loving kids? – . They just go and sit down in the middle of a muddy puddle to play and after taken them out three times, I just let them be the fourth time. They can’t get any dirtier anyhow. That’s the little ones. The oldest just goes around jumping in the puddles and since she’s is just as clumsy as her mum, there also is a lot of falling down.

They seem to have a lot of fun so I don’t really mind, but nonetheless I somehow feel a slight bit embarrassed when I’m leaving with three sand and water soaked girls. 

Sun

After a really cold Sunday which almost made us freeze on the terrace of Babel the warmth of this Monday is really surprising us. Because a lot of rain is expected in the coming days we do need to enjoy this day to the most and that means ice cream. On wasserturmplatz there’s one of Prenzlbergs dozens of ice creams places, bit this one’s got something special: a children’s packet. This means two small scoops of ice, crumble mixture and a Gummy Barchen on top. We do need to take some serious time on one of Knaackstrasses lovely benches to enjoy these. And to keep them sand free, because our next stop of course is the playground on Kollwitzplatz.

Boxhagener

Today we went back to Boxhagener platz. Loved it all over again. Girls had so much fun at the big playground in the middle while we got some good cappuccinos before strolling the market for groceries. The best smoked salmon and mackerel definitely is to be found on this very market. Besides the fish a thing that really stands out here is that every person behind the stands is so very nice and helpful. For our dog this must also be one of his favorite spots for he gets treats at several stands.

The big surprise today is the lovely little lady in the corner of the market that sells little bouquets of lilacs and lily-of-the-valley that make our house smell so nice for the next couple of days

Picnic

A thing we haven’t realized ourselves enough in advance is how much we would miss a place outside with the girls. We thought we could do without because there are so many green spots in the neighborhood. In reality it means that we are inside from around six o’clock and seldom go outside afterwards with the girls.

To try and have them outside a little more we decided to go out and have an evening picnic every week, starting today. I’ve combined it with my cooking challenge and made some homemade bread, sausage rolls (forgot to put some egg yolk on top so they’re not looking as good as they tasted) and some fattoush with labneh. All again, of course, from the books of Yvette. The picnic at Schendelgasse Playground was a success; there was sun, eating, playing and a bit of relaxing for mum and dad.

Hackesche Höfe

Today the babysitter is there to watch the little ones for a couple of hours so me and my oldest can go out and have some quality time together. We visit daddy again and have cakes and coffee, than we stroll around the Hackesche Höfe just for the fun of it. One of the quieter courtyards there is a big big chestnut tree with a small little playground at its foot. She loves it and since it’s her afternoon she may totally decide what she wants to do. What seems to be just sitting there under the big chestnut and muse a bit.

Fischerhütte

After a long stroll we don’t want to send Opa and Oma back on the road with empty stomachs. Since Strandbad is not open yet we decide to drive by Fischerhütte am Slachtensee for some decent German food: Pea soup, Potato soup and of course some sausages. 

It still is a bit cold of sitting outside, bur the soups definitely keep us warm enough. They also have a playground to entertain the little ones, but as our little ones are clearly a bit too little for this playground we in turns keep guard at the gate. Keeps you warm enough alright

Snow. Still.

The snow is still there. And yes, it still is very beautiful. And yes it still makes this wonderful sound when you walk over it. But on three little girls it is very hard to stay inside as much as we do now. Today I decided (kind of forgotten about our previous experience I guess) to go to the playground again. Again of course being the only ones. It even was worse than the last time because this time they wanted to play in the sand pit so badly that they actually got really mad that the snow was so cold. Well, two of them of really mad, mainly at me in the end.They really loved the new playground ‘waterspielplatz’ we discovered really nearby our house, with a lovely sandpit, lots of community toys and also: rabbits. A bit scary as well, but very interesting nevertheless. We’ll be back in spring!

Snow!

It finally started snowing in Berlin! White streets, white playground, snow crackling under our feet together with the little black stones they use in Berlin against slippery sidewalks. We even tried the playground today, which wasn’t a big success because they keep refusing to wear their gloves which of course makes their little fingers freeze. After 15 minutes returned home with three crying babies with little red noses and red cheeks, quickly happy again with some fresh cranberry breads in our warm home 

Kiezkind

Today is a wonderful, almost warm day and we want to go and explore some secondhand and children shops in the neighborhood.  After visiting a few shops in Marienburgerstrasse it’s time to have lunch and mainly let the children have their time  out of the strollers. We end up at Kiezkind at Helmholzplatz which turns out to be an excellent choice!

The really cool thing about this place is that they have a big indoor sandbox! The girls cannot believe their little eyes. Also very cool is that they have excellent coffee, great sandwiches and everything to also make the little ones happy from melted cheese sandwiches to mango lassies children’s size.

Only downside was when we decided after an hour that it was time to move on with our shopping trip and the girls had a completely opposite opinion. Luring them outside by sowing them the dozens of small bikes and cars outside only worked for a moment because we didn’t have anything to lure them away from the bikes. Anyway, we had a great time drinking our coffees while the girls had a really great time in the sandbox. We will most definitely come back here more often. Great place, lovely people. Thank you Kiezkind for this wonderful concept, it’s been a while since going out for lunch was this relaxed.

Sand

Another thing I love about Berlin? All the playgrounds are built upon big sandpits, which makes it so much more fun especially for the little ones. All I need to bring are three little shovels and buckets and it’s guaranteed for hours of playing. 

The big playground on Kollwitzplatz is favorite with the kids. What is perfect for our little kids is that they have two separate playgrounds, one for the bigger kids and one for the really small ones, so the small kids will not be run over and the big ones don’t have to watch out that much. On week days during the day it’s quit quiet here and the mums and dads seem to come all at once around the clock of three thirty.  

Kolle 37 - Abenteuerlicher Bauspielplatz

After visiting the Ehrenmal we really needed to warm up a bit and have a bite. Luckily it’s not hard to find places to warm up in these December days for there are Christmas Markets to warm yourself with sausages, gluhwein and of course the Christmas spirit. This weekend there is a Christmas Market especially for children on nearby playground Kolle 37. It was the best Christmas market I visited so far. Low key, all kind of activities for children like making your own candle or baking bread rolls in the big fire and also a good chance to visit this place, swing on the huge swing and finishing it off with a tummy slider in the mud (not me)

Graffiti

The two things I described in the previous post – two things I love about Berlin - are also combined in this pictures. Children and creativity. Playgrounds and graffiti. Of course not all graffiti can be named creative or art, but because in Berlin there is room for this form of art there are a lot of beautiful, unexpected drawings that lighten up the city and definitely make it more colorful. It is a form of art I really miss in Amsterdam, because it is so prohibited graffiti most of the time can actually be described as vandalism more than art. One of the most shocking, but characteristic happenings for the current policy was when the London Police made this beautiful huge painting on the side of a house on the canals and the city government wanted to remove it because they didn’t have a legal license for the painting. Only after a lot of protesting they decided to leave the painting be. Anyway, on this subject Amsterdam could lean a little more towards the Berlin policy because I really do think wall art can brighten up the streets.

I now see these pictures are not the best examples to support my story, just outside the pictures of the slides there was a great drawing of a huge hand on the wall. I will later on try to make and post good examples of the graffiti I am referring to

Hufelandstrasse

On my way back yesterday I was trying to walk back a different way then the one that got me in the park. It's a habit of mine to never go back the way you came, because it gives you a chance to explore other parts of a city. Or in case it was the way to work I biked 4 times a week, it's somehow less boring. It also often gets me lost a bit (or sometimes a lot) but that can also be interesting.

Anyhow, yesterday I decided to walk back another way and this time it worked very well and got me to a really nice part of the neighborhood. First the Botzowstrasse with a great playground (Pirate ship with slides at the front) and a coffee/ice cream shop on the other side of the street. A perfect combination because I can lure my two-year-old away from the playground without making a scene by promising her an ice cream with candy (not sure what super nanny would say), because that's they sell at this place (forgot the name, around nr 41 it is). They have an ice cream window at the street side and when the kids come in the afternoon they have the funniest steps-on-wheels the ride outside so the kids can stand on the steps and order their child sized ice creams with disco dip and a gummy barchen on top themselves with the little cranky but very sweet guy behind the counter.

Around the corner is the Hufelandstrasse, a lovely street with nice shops and lot's of coffee bars along the big sidewalks, under the plantains. I would love to come back another day without my huge stroller so I can fit into the small shops with second hand clothes and gifts. Would also love to live in this neighborhood. A thing that really got my attention is the big amount of children on small bikes on the sidewalks. First thing about that is that there are way more here than I ever saw in Amsterdam, while that is the city of bikes, so very promising for Berlins biking culture. Second thing is the big bikes and the little bikes on the sidewalks seem to perfectly work together. I'm really not used to the whole bikes on the sidewalks thing and a bit too protective, for afraid my todd will be run over by one, but the Berliners seem to have found a way to co-exist on the sidewalk without (too much) irritation or accidents. Very well done and I am planning to mastering this skill as soon as possible.