Tjaša and Neža Kenda – Big ideas, sisterly love and a small kindergarten

City Magazine: They are still very young, they are 25 and 29 years old... how did you decide to open your own kindergarten at such a young age, and what inspired you to do so? Where did the idea come from?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: The germ of the idea happened a few years ago, when we moved out of the house outside Bežigrad. Maybe it was the youngest member of the family, who just turned one, that gave us the idea to finally start. Children are the future, so a kindergarten is an investment in the future, and given that we had an adequate space, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity offered. There is definitely some nostalgia for the happy childhood we spent in the house where the kindergarten is now being opened.

City Magazine: Does anyone else help you, encourage you and stand by you in the realization of the project? What are the reactions of those closest to you?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: It turned out that opening a kindergarten is quite a big deal, but for once we encountered very positive reactions and the help of the whole family and friends. Of course, there are concerns, especially from the "wiser" members of the family, but for once we take them as a challenge.

City Magazine: Where can we find Mini Kindergarten and how many children will find their own space full of children's imagination in it?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: The kindergarten is located in a renovated house with a large green garden outside Bežigrad, at Kadilnikova Street 7. We think the location is excellent, as the kindergarten is located near the Ljubljana ring road and on the way to the center of Ljubljana, but at the same time it is away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We will have our own parking lot, newly furnished premises with a terrace and a well-kept, fenced garden with playgrounds, and there will be room for twelve little up-and-comers in the first year.

City Magazine: What will be or are the key features of the kindergarten program? What do you think is most important in the education of toddlers?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: The Mini Kindergarten program is designed to provide the child with a stimulating environment with a wide range of different areas of activity that enrich children's knowledge and encourage their development. The foundations for the implementation of the program are areas that primarily include strengthening the child's movement and thinking abilities, learning not only the Slovenian but also the English language, encouraging children's innate creativity, getting to know one's own and foreign culture and the basic rules of communication and behavior, and getting to know nature and responsible behavior with her. A spacious and varied garden allows us to present children with a positive attitude towards life, nature and food.

Children are the future and this should be taken into account.

City Magazine: What sets Mini Kindergarten apart from other similar kindergartens?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: Mini kindergarten is more than just childcare; we are a small kindergarten with big ideas. We strive to create a dynamic schedule for the child, who always has new individual and group activities at his disposal, which bring new experiences and knowledge. Therefore, the program is not unshakably defined, as it has the possibility of adaptation and upgrading according to the needs and wishes of children and parents, who are always invited to participate. In addition, the activities for children do not end at the end of the working hours of the kindergarten, as interesting additional activities will be available throughout the year; so parents don't need to drive their child to several places, because they can find everything in one place, with us.

City Magazine: When will the Mini Kindergarten open its doors, can we come to a possible open day?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: The opening of the kindergarten will take place at the beginning of May, when registrations for September will already take place. Of course, it will be possible to visit the kindergarten even after it opens and take a look at the premises, and open days will also be organized, where entertainment for the children will be provided. The kindergarten will be lively even in the warmest months, as summer care, creative workshops and organized birthday celebrations will be available for our little ones.

City Magazine: They say your childhood was happy. In what sense?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: We always did a lot together as a family and laughed a lot, whether it was at home or on the way to a trip where we sang out loud or played games. We always spent nice days outside; at home, the garden allowed us to do this, and we also spent a lot of time walking in the woods near my grandmother's house. Above all, we had a happy childhood, because our parents paid a lot of attention to us, and today we can see that they wanted to pass on everything they know to us. When we think back, we just smile...

City Magazine: What are your fondest childhood memories?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: What we remember the most is that the house was always a place for adventures... the house was just big enough that you could make your own hiding place out of the curtains and an invisible way out, where we ran on the grass, hid , played football... father knew how to set up the biggest Indian tent in the world, and mother knew how to bake the best pot from the earth...  We swung on the swing that hung from the tree, which we climbed again and again and ate cherries from the roof of the garden ute. We had picnics for all occasions, just for the kids to hang out and play, it was always a full house.

City Magazine: Why kindergarten? Where does the love for childcare come from?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: We have always found ourselves around children who, without much effort, have always stolen our attention... children are full of life and joy, which we also feel with children, so the first reason for kindergarten is the joy of playing, having fun learning and creating, following the progress of every child to whom you devote time... the idea was born years ago, but now we finally got the chance to make it a reality.

City Magazine: Any interesting sister story?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: Sister adventures... there are so many that we don't know which one to choose, but we always did everything together and when it was time to go to bed at night, we each had to go to our own room, but the younger sister, according to the fairy tale, often secretly went to the her older sister's room, where she preferred to fall asleep.

City Magazine: Are your dreams even bigger? What do you have planned for the future?
Tjaša and Neža Kenda: Plans for the future are to expand the program and open another department, and above all to always run a program where both children and parents will feel comfortable. We want both of us to enjoy attending kindergarten and all the activities that we will organize.