Maren Kürger (former director) and Connor Schinkewitz (assistant director) from CompanyKids Königskinder in Hanover
News

20 Years of CompanyKids Königskinder: childcare center Celebrates a Major Anniversary

Hanover, September 1, 2026 – CompanyKids Königskinder celebrated its 20th anniversary on Wednesday. As the first company-run daycare center in Hanover, the facility—with its two groups—has provided families with a reliable place where work-life balance is a reality since its founding. To mark the occasion, the center hosted a special art opening: Under the theme “Yayoi Kusama,” the children presented works they had created over the course of several months in the workshops at the “ childcare center .” 

Thanks to the Team and Founders 

“Twenty years—at first glance, that sounds like a long time. And yet it’s clear that this place thrives because of the people who shape it,”said Regional Director Linda Kiryakos in her anniversary speech. 

Special recognition was given to Maren Krüger, the facility’s former director, for her many years of work in establishing and continuously supporting the facility, as well as to Nicole Jardon for her early leadership partnership.

A very special thank you went out to Nicole Herbst: After previously working in childcare, she returned to the field and now, as director, shapes the “ childcare center ” with a focus on pedagogy, consistency, and new ideas. Connor Schinkewitz was also welcomed as the new assistant director, bringing fresh perspectives to the team. 

An Opening Reception to Celebrate the Anniversary 

The CompanyKids Königskinder program is based on the principle of workshop-style education —with a focus on free experimentation and sensory discovery. This concept also served as the framework for the anniversary exhibition themed “Yayoi Kusama”:

For weeks, the children explored dots, circles, and curves—across all the workshops. The result was a collection of individual and group works that were lovingly arranged and displayed. 

To celebrate, numerous hands-on activities gave young and old alike the chance to get involved: A confetti table invited visitors to explore, touch, and feel; large cardboard building blocks could be decorated with dot stickers in the building workshop; and in the studio, light experiments using a projector and an overhead projector left everyone in awe. The exhibition allowed everyone to experience the children’s creativity and their joy in creating together. 

Postcards and canvases for a good cause 

The parent representatives actively supported the event: Postcards designed by the children themselves were offered for sale. Canvases, on which the children could experiment extensively with paint, were auctioned off. The proceeds will go toward a garden easel for the children—so that their creative work can continue outdoors as well. 

Contact information for CompanyKids Königskinder in Hanover 

Facility Director: Nicole Herbst 

CompanyKids Königskinder 

Königstraße 35, 30175 Hanover 

Phone: 0511 – 30025437 

Email: companykids.koenigskinder@familienservice.de 

More information:CompanyKids Königskinder

The pme Familienservice learning worlds 

With over 90 childcare and educational facilities nationwide, pme Familienservice Lernwelten is one of the largest private providers of such services. pme Familienservice views providing working parents with childcare close to their workplace as a genuine commitment by companies to work-life balance. Its educational approach focuses on flexible care hours, healthy nutrition, and high-quality education. 

About the pme Familienservice - work-life pioneer since 1991 

On behalf of more than 1,400 employers, the pme Familienservice Group helps employees successfully balance their professional and personal lives. More than 90 child care and educational facilities offer high-quality, flexible educational programs. The pme Familienservice Group operates in more than 70 locations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic and employs over 2,000 staff members as well as numerous experts from various fields. 

zero Write down positive thoughts: Never brood again

Woman writes in diary
Body & Soul

Write down positive thoughts: Never brood again

When winter just won't end, it can really put a damper on your mood. In such phases, we often forget the positive moments that keep us going.

We would rather brood over negative things that have failed, upset or hurt us. However, positive thoughts are not only better for our well-being, they also help us sleep much better. Our health expert Petra Dinkelacker has a really good tip on how to change your mindset in the long term by writing down your positive experiences.

Store good experiences and ensure a lasting sense of well-being

Writing things down can help us to better remember positive experiences. By writing things down, we can determine over time which approach helps us to develop things in a positive direction and which strategies we should develop in the future.

This is how it works:

  • Get yourself a nice book and a nice pen that you use for the sole purpose of jotting down your thoughts.
  • Take five minutes before going to bed. That's often all it takes.
  • Now write down your successes and positive experiences of the day and ask yourself the following questions:
    ​​​​​​​
    • What worked well for me today?
    • How did I manage it or what did I do to ensure that it went well?

Think about three things and answer these two questions for each of them.

Plan to practise this method for at least three weeks and write down your experiences. If it doesn't work on one day, don't put yourself under pressure. Revisit your thoughts later or skip a day. But keep going and leaf back through your book from time to time to see what insights you can derive from it.

I wish you many positive thoughts!

Health impulses with our 5-minute exercises

Our 5-minute exercises give you ideas for more relaxation, balance, activity and feel-good moments in your everyday work and private life. They are not a substitute for professional help from counselors and psychologists.

Please seek professional advice, for example from life coaching (Link opens in a new window) ( Link opens in a new window) , if you are permanently depressed, suffer from persistent excessive stress and have deeper mental problems.