Our Mission

Rella’s Spielhaus, Manhattan’s first German Language Day Care Center, including Summer Camps and weekly German classes, was founded in 2011 and quickly became a household name for the highest-quality German immersion education in New York. 

Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Rella’s Spielhaus is committed to the highest American and European educational standards and to sharing the German, Swiss, and Austrian languages and culture.  The environment is one of curiosity, creativity, and respect, where each child feels successful in becoming a valid member of his/her class. The teachers – all native speakers from a German-speaking country with at least one degree in early childhood education – create a nurturing and inspiring atmosphere where learning and exploration can happen freely and safely. Your child will leave Rella’s Spielhaus a happy, life-long learner, ready to join the global world that awaits her/him.

The founder, Barbara Rellstab, created Rella’s Spielhaus Curriculum by taking into account the child in its entirety. A topic is taught for every kind of learner: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and read/write. The Rella’s Curriculum is a living entity that is given new life every day by the close collaboration of the founder and the teachers.

Rella’s Spielhaus Curriculum is inspired by influential European educators and educational systems such as Emmi Pikler, Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Maria Montessori, and Reggio Emilia. The child is at the center of all teachings. It is given the respect, space, time, knowledge, and age-appropriate boundaries to learn and grow all aspects of its being – with our support and deep care. The school environment around the child features natural materials, healthy foods, and a calm classroom atmosphere. The Rella’s Spielhaus Curriculum also includes substantial time for daily activities outside, as the outside is seen as an extended classroom.