Vandals devastate forest kindergarten: children are deeply disappointed!

Vandals devastate forest kindergarten: children are deeply disappointed!

Leutkirch, Deutschland - Unknown perpetrators have caused considerable vandalism at the DRK Waldkindergarten in Leutkirch in the last few days. A “fairy path” designed by the children themselves, which is now destroyed by the children, is particularly affected. In addition, the grounding cable of the photovoltaic system was severed, which leads to property damage of around 1500 euros. The incident, which took place between June 3 and 4, 2025, triggered great disappointment and anger among the children, educators and parents. The children had invested a lot of effort to design a home for their little “Wichtel” Bilbo from natural materials. On June 2, however, they discovered the damaged house and immediately started repairing the artwork. Schwäbische reports regular finds of garbage, beer bottles and even injections on the area, which is a permanent problem represent.

die Südkurier describes similar problems in a forest kindergarten in Uhldingen-Mühlhofen. Here, unknowns regularly leave garbage, including empty chip bags, cigarette stumbles and broken glass, which is not only unsightly, but also dangerous for the children. Educator Corina quickly emphasizes that the daily control course is essential to minimize the dangers through garbage lying around. The vandalism is also expressed in the destruction of play equipment, benches and other utensils, which led to damage of around 3000 euros in 2022.

The effects of vandalism on the children

The condition of the forest kindergartens has an immediate effect on the children. These facilities offer valuable nature experiences that have been shown to have a positive effect on the health and well -being of children. A dissertation by Silvia Doris Schäffer emphasizes that regular stays in nature leads to better physical, mental and social results. The positive effects range from increased motor ability to better social interaction. Forest kindergartens offer institutionalized nature experiences for children aged 2 to 6 and have the potential to create preventive offers in childhood ( Specialist Pedagogy ). In view of the repeated destruction and garbage problem, parents and educators appeal to visitors to deal with the surroundings with respect. The increased vandalism not only undermines the efforts to create a safe game environment, but can also limit the children's learning and development opportunities. It remains to be seen how the authorities react to the signs of violence and disregard and whether it is possible to restore children's trust in their facilities.