Illustration of a group of people with speech bubbles above their heads

Kinderwerkstatt

“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.”

— Rita Mae Brown

Our Classes

Despite our name, ”Die Kinderwerkstatt”, which translates to Children's Workshop, we offer classes for students of all ages. We have weekly classes that follow the traditional school year as well as summer camps and special workshops. Each class is conducted in full immersion. To maximize individual attention, classes typically have between 5 and 9 students. All students are invited to attend our holiday luncheons, St. Martin’s Lanternfest, and our end-of-year picnic.

We plan to offer nearly all our classes in-person. Should the health guidelines change and require distance learning, we are prepared to do so.

Mission and Philosophy

The Kinderwerkstatt was founded in 1997 by a group of parents who wanted to encourage and foster bi-literacy in their children by involving them in a program entirely in the German language. Our mission continues to provide a full German immersion program to students at various competency levels. The program is designed to advance German language capabilities in a stimulating, challenging, and fun learning environment. By offering small group sizes, we offer a rich learning experience, in which all students are encouraged to question, experiment with, interact, as well as experience success in the German language.

Parent Involvement

We strongly believe in a collaborative partnership between the teachers of the Kinderwerkstatt, the House of Germany, and you - the parent or adult. Upon request, parents of participating students will receive lesson plans, homework, and conference time to discuss language and academic skills. The Kinderwerkstatt team is available to offer support, suggest additional materials, and guide parents who have questions about raising multi-cultural and bi-lingual children.

Current Offerings

Select each to learn more.

Toddler/Preschool

Toddler/Preschool
Elementary - Poway

Elementary - Poway
Elementary - Golden Hill

Elementary - Golden Hill
Middle School

Middle School
Adult Beginner - Level 1

Adult Beginner - Level 1
Adult Beginner - Level 2

Adult Beginner - Level 2
Kinderchor

Kinderchor
Camps

Camps

Our Teachers

Portrait of Frau Anna Johnson

  • CLASS: Die Knirpse

    Born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany, I am an elementary school teacher with a Masters Degree in Bilingual Education. I taught at several elementary schools in Germany before I moved to San Diego to teach 3rd and 4th grade German at Albert Einstein Academies. My two children are bilingual and we enjoy our backyard, the beach, parks, and everything else San Diego has to offer. 

    As the coordinator for the Kinderwerkstatt, I thrive to make sure that the German community in San Diego has a home and everyone who wants to learn German finds a class at the Kinderwerkstatt.

    In our toddler and preschool play group, we will sing German songs and rhymes, talk about everyday objects and topics, read books, and dance. We will also celebrate and learn about seasonal cultural events, like Martinstag, Nikolaus, Karneval, and Easter. There will be plenty of time to connect with other parents and practice speaking German.

Portrait of Frau Christiane Koenemund

  • CLASSES: Middle School, Adult Beginner - Level 2

    Horseback riding and teaching are my passions!

    I always wanted to be a teacher and I studied special education in Hamburg, Germany.

    When my husband and I came to San Diego, I went to school again to get a Master’s degree in special education as well as a German teaching credential.

    That was a long time ago. I’m retired now and visit and ride my horse every day. Besides that, I currently teach a class for adult beginners and an advanced middle school class. Both classes are held in the house of Germany in Balboa Park.

Portrait of Frau Heather Sander-Heinz

  • CLASS: Elementary - Golden Hill

    I have a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and International Business from California State University, Sonoma. After studying at the University of Regensburg and the Klett Weiterbildungsinstitute in Germany,  I worked in the German internet industry and began my passion as a Human Potential Advocate. I have been teaching, training, and empowering people young and old for over 35 years. I love teaching English, Spanish, and German languages to anyone who wants to learn.

    When we moved to San Diego, I taught at the German Preschool, The Rasselbande, leading the Maus Gruppe for 5 years. I was privileged to teach Environmental Science and Gardening (mostly in German) at the Albert Einstein Elementary School for 5 years.

    I feel strongly about foreign or second language acquisition. I am convinced that it is only after you have lived and thought in the language of another culture that you can truly begin to understand and appreciate your own culture and the other cultures of the world.

    As a parent to bilingual children, I truly appreciated the Kinderwerkstatt program where our children enjoyed many years of German language and cultural classes and events. I am convinced that the Kinderwerkstatt is in part responsible for both of our children being fluent in German.

    I am excited to continue being a part of the House of Germany team, creating a vibrant German cultural and language program for both adults and children.

Frau Sunny Menze

  • CLASS: Elementary - Golden Hill

    I have lived in San Diego for over 35 years. It was always important to me to pass on my German language and heritage to my two children who are now adults. 30 years ago, I founded the Kinderwerkstatt together with other parents. The program thrived soon and some of it inspired the founding of Albert Einstein Academies, then a German dual immersion charter school in San Diego. I taught there for almost 20 years but still can’t stop teaching German! It is a great pleasure and desire for me to foster German language learning in San Diego.

Frau Maria Kotsaftis

  • CLASS: Adult Beginner - Level 1

    I was born and raised in Munich, Germany. Besides other subjects, I studied Developmental Psychology at LMU Munich and was an active participant and board member at the inception of the Rasselbande, the first German preschool in San Diego. I also taught German afterschool programs at Albert Einstein in the past. My philosophy is based on "teaching via playing and artistic means," since learning occurs naturally if one is engaged and having fun. I try to implement this in all my classrooms!

Frau Elisabeth Totolou

  • CLASS: Elementary - Poway

    I am a former Kinderwerkstatt student myself and teach the Poway class together with my twin sister. It is a lot of fun and I enjoy working with the children. I have fond memories of my own times as a Kinderwerkstatt student and I am happy that the circle is completed.

Portrait of Frau Nefeli Totolou

  • CLASS: Elementary - Poway

    I am very grateful that I can teach the Kinderwerkstatt class in Poway this year together with my twin sister. As a child, I used to attend Kinderwerkstatt classes myself and I am excited to move on to be on the teacher's side. I enjoy working with these wonderful children and showing them how to have fun with the German language.

Frau Claudia Lorenz

  • CLASS: House of Germany Choir, Kinderchor

    Claudia Lorenz is a passionate music director who believes in the power of song to unite, inspire, and uplift. Leading both children’s and adult choirs, she brings out the very best in every singer—building confidence, camaraderie, and lasting friendships through the shared joy of making music together.

    With a special love for German choral traditions, Claudia creates opportunities for cultural connection and discovery, helping singers of all ages experience the beauty and joy of singing in the German language. Her rehearsals are filled with enthusiasm, laughter, and a deep sense of community—where every voice matters, and every song tells a story.

Gallery

Kinderwerkstatt students dressed in costumes and wearing crowns, holding colorful pinwheels, gathered outdoors under a large German flag, with the House of Germany in the background.
Young summer camp participant standing on a sandy beach surrounded by other children.
Knirpse students at graduation ceremony.
Kinderwerkstatt students posing with their teacher, each holding a Schultüte.
A group of Kinderwerkstatt students posing with their teachers near the International Cottages.
Young summer camp participant enjoying a field trip.
Two Kinderwerkstatt students goofing around with their teacher.
Young summer camp participant displaying a bracelet.
Two young girls dressed in traditional German costumes near the International Cottages, holding an German flag.
Summer camp participants sitting in a circle on the ground with their legs extended inward, showing various colorful sneakers and shoes.
A group of Kinderwerkstatt students posing with their teacher in front of the House of Germany cottage.
Two Kinderwerkstatt students holding recorder instruments, in a classroom setting with a teacher instructing them.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students posing with their teachers, with a few of them wearing festive hats.
Group of summer camp participants and their teachers posing near the International Cottages.
A man smiling behind a puppet theater holding two puppets.
Kinderwerkstatt students sitting outside of the House of Germany cottage during Covid times, listening to their teacher.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students performing at a graduation ceremony.
Two young Kinderwerkstatt students and their teacher sitting on a carpet in a classroom, playing with stuffed animal toys and smiling at each other.
Three Kinderwerkstatt students sitting at a table completing a worksheet.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students posing with their teachers in front of Kinderwerkstatt banner, with some of them wearing masks.
A father working on a craft with his daughter during a class.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students and their teacher sitting on a rug indoors, holding brown paper bags.
Kinderwerkstatt students having lunch with their teacher at a picnic table.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students and their teachers dressed in colorful costumes, celebrating outside near the International Cottages.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students posing with their teachers in front of the House of Germany cottage.
Kinderwerkstatt students playing with a colorful parachute at the HPR Hall of Nations.
The Kinderchor performing at a Christmas party.
Kinderwerkstatt students posing with their teacher, holding hand-made puppets.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students displaying their hand-made lanterns.
Kinderwerkstatt students creating colorful paintings with paint and cotton swabs.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students dressed in Hawaiian outfits posing with their teachers.
Kinderwerkstatt students sitting and kneeling on a carpet in a classroom, with two of them raising their arms.
Preschool classroom with Kinderwerkstatt students holding up their colorful artwork of animals.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students and their teachers posing in front of the House of Germany cottage.
Two Kinderwerkstatt students wearing crafted crowns and holding the German flag.
Two Kinderwerkstatt students sitting at a table with their teacher.
Three summer camp participants looking out a large window at a city skyline and waterway.
Group of summer camp participants posing in front of a tall ship docked at a harbor.
Kinderwerkstatt students planting seeds.
Kinderwerkstatt students playing with a large, colorful parachute in front of the House of Germany cottage during Covid times.
Kinderwerkstatt students sitting on a rug, participating in an activity.
Group of summer camp participants posing in front of a tall ship docked at a harbor, with a teacher smiling in front of the camera.
Summer camp participants sitting next to each other during a day trip.
Summer camp participants at the House of Germany cottage, holding a sliced apple.
Group of summer camp participants posing near the International Cottages.
Children dressed in traditional German costumes standing in front of the House of Germany cottage.
Summer camp participants and their teachers walking during a day trip.
A Kinderwerkstatt teacher wearing a Santa hat, passing out drink to students.
Group of Kinderwerkstatt students posing with their teachers and holding a German flag.
A young Kinderwerkstatt student participating in a marble art activity.
Summer camp participants walking through Balboa Park.
Kinderwerkstatt students holding their certificates at a graduation ceremony.

Testimonials

  • "We had a wonderful experience with Miss Anna! It was culturally enriching and brought us back to my heritage. My grandmother was born and raised in Berlin. Miss Anna is a wonderful Kindergarten teacher and her activities were all well-organized, fun, and educational."

    —Myriam, 2024/25

  • "My daughter enjoyed ‘Basteln’ at the Kinderwerkstatt very much, especially crafting the traditional German and Swiss decorations for the holidays such as the ‘blown out’ eggs. She also enjoyed going around the world in Balboa Park during Sommercamp and learning about different countries, as well as cooking their foods. I credit the German immersion camps for encouraging her to finally start to speak German more, where prior to that she would just respond to me in English. All teachers are excellent!"

    —Lisa, 2022–24

  • "My son attended AEA elementary school's dual immersion program and did well on the DSD exam, so we wanted to continue his German language education even though we can't help him at home. We enjoy the location, flexibility, and chance to learn German with other middle school classmates who wanted to continue their study, too."

    —Laurel, 2025/26

  • "We are a German-American family and have raised our daughter bilingually since birth. When she was about two years old, however, she started to favor the English language and mainly responded to us in English. We decided to sign her up to the Knirpse playgroup to bring her together with other German-speaking children. Our daughter looked forward to each meeting, which typically included learning and singing songs in German, a German storytime, and working on a seasonal craft. Topics were chosen in an age appropriate manner and taught at the children’s pace. We feel like by the time she graduated, our daughter was more comfortable speaking German. But mostly, it is the friendships that were formed during our time at the Knirpse that we value the most. We feel like we gained a network of a German community and cannot wait to sign up for more classes in the coming years."

    Nina, 2022/2023, 2024/2025

  • "We were looking for an activity where our daughter could learn German in a fun environment with other kids her age and find new friends that are in a similar situation, growing up with different languages. She loved it from the start and became much more confident with her German skills. The teachers were very good at allowing all the kids to learn at their own pace. I appreciated how they celebrated all the traditional holidays like St. Martin, Nikolaus, Christmas, and Karneval with crafts and songs and special activities. We very much enjoyed being part of this group."

    Ulrike, 2019/2020

  • "We're a German/Swiss family and speak English and German at home. We were looking for a German speaking community and a setting in which our 4-year-old son could learn German through play. We found both through the Kinderwerkstatt and were impressed how fast his interest in German grew and how fast he advanced! Heather and Christiane are wonderful teachers for any age and it was great to meet other German speaking kids and their families. We also enjoy borrowing books from the library and celebrating St. Martin, Christmas, and Karneval with German/Austrian/Swiss traditions in the community."

    — Family Kramer, 2019/2020

  • "Since my wife speaks very little German, English is our family language. Despite German being my native tongue and the fact that I speak German with my 5-year-old son most of the time, he continues to respond almost exclusively in English. In an attempt to change this, we thought that finding a few German-speaking playmates for him might make him want to speak German more. Having only one parent as the sole source of German is not enough for a child to grow linguistically. As they say, "it takes a village", additional people must be involved. Our search for German speaking playmates led us to the Kinderwerkstatt, which we joined 2 years ago. Because he was only 4 years old at the time and one of the youngest, the first couple of times at the Kinderwerkstatt were a bit challenging. He had to get used to being in a new environment, where everything was in German and to being separated from his parents. He overcame his anxiety quickly and now he really looks forward to attending class every week, where he interacts and socializes with his friends and the teacher, in German."

    — Guido, 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021

  • "My 5-year-old tried the Froeschling Class and he loved it. It kept him engaged, he laughed frequently, so obviously the teacher was skilled. My son is hard to please because his German is pretty good as he speaks it with my husband. This class was on par with other online zoom classes we have done with the DANK HAUS in Chicago and Goethe Institute in Chicago."

    — Stef, 2019/2020, 2020/2021

  • "My 7-year-old son Elijah and I lived in Germany for 8 months in 2018 while I was playing professional basketball. Upon returning to the States, I was happy to enroll him in Kinderwerkstatt. The teachers are passionate, patient, and supportive of Elijah’s needs. Elijah’s German skills continue to improve. I’m looking forward to next year’s class!"

    Maya, 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021