When the kids are out of school for the summer, one place to cool off is at the movie theater. Below are three theaters in different parts of our cluster area that are offering $1 or free kid’s movies each week of the summer.

Tips to maximize your free movie enjoyment:

• Movie admission is $1, but bring additional money for popcorn and/or drinks, if desired.
• I suggest you arrive at least 15 minutes early to get a good place to sit.  Some of the movies can be very popular and fill up.
• Have all the kids make a bathroom stop before going into the movie.
• Do your homework and google the movie that’s playing in advance to make sure it will be a good one for your child/ren.
• As with any outing, ask your host parents before taking the child/ren to the movies.
• If you take the kids to the movie in Silver Spring, check out the fountain in Silver Plaza afterwards. Bring a towel and a dry change of clothes for the kids.  It’s hard to resist splashing in the fountain.

After the movie, do activities related to the movie:

• Ask the children what were their favorite parts of the movie.
• Find crafts related to the movie to complete with them.
• Let the children act out parts of the movies.  Use household items as props and dress up in costumes to make it more fun.

BOWIE STADIUM 14

15200 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD, 301-262-9133

Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/11-6/12   The Three Stooges (PG), Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG)

6/18-6/19   Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (PG), Parental Guidance (PG)

6/25-6/26   Mr. Poppers’ Penguins (PG), Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G)

7/2-7/3       Monte Carlo (PG), Rio (G)

7/9-7/10     Coraline (PG), Paranorman (PG)

7/16-7/17   Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (PG), Big Miracle (PG)

7/23-7/24   Yogi Bear (PG), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (PG)

7/30-7/31   Racing Stripes (PG), Happy Feet Too (PG)

8/6-8/7       African Cats (PG), Chimpanzee (PG)

MAJESTIC STADIUM 20 & IMAX

900 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring MD, 301-565-8884

Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/18-6/19   The Three Stooges (PG), Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG)

6/25-6/26   Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (PG), Parental Guidance (PG)

7/2-7/3       Mr. Poppers’ Penguins (PG), Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G)

7/9-7/10     Monte Carlo (PG), Rio (G)

7/16-7/17   Coraline (PG), Paranorman (PG)

7/23-7/24   Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (PG), Big Miracle (PG)

7/30-7/31   Yogi Bear (PG), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (PG)

8/6-8/7       Racing Stripes (PG), Happy Feet Too (PG)

8/13-8/14   African Cats (PG), Chimpanzee (PG)

Annapolis Harbour 9 (FREE)

2474 Solomons Island Rd, Annapolis, MD, 410-224-1145

Doors open at 9 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/25-6/26   Puss in Boots (PG)

7/2-7/3       Megamind (PG)

7/9-7/10     Rise of the Guardians (PG)

7/16-7/17   Madagascar 3 (PG)

7/23-7/24   Adventures of Tintin (PG)

7/30-7/31 Hugo (PG)

8/6-8/7       How to Train Your Dragon (PG)

8/13-8/14   Rango (PG)

8/20-8/21   Kung Fu Panda 2 (PG)

Check out our St. Patrick’s Day pinboard on Pinterest for recipes, games, crafts and other fun activity ideas to do with your kids.

A is for Art – try drawing, painting or gluing
B is for Baking – bake a dessert together for dinner
C is for Clay – Use non-hardening clay or play dough to shape and mold
D is for Dance – put on a lively tape
E is for Exercise – be sure to get some everyday
F is for Friends – invite some over
G is for Greenhouse – find a local greenhouse to visit to enjoy the sights and smells
H is for House – make a playhouse from a large appliance box
I is for Ice skating – take the children to a local rink
J is for Jigsaw puzzle – be sure to pick one that isn’t too difficult
K is for Kitchen science – try a safe experiment
L is for Library – borrow some new books
M is for Movie – make one with a video camera, or watch one
N is for Necklace – make one out of cereal or macaroni
O is for Origami – learn to make simple paper creations
P is for Puppets – socks make easy and fun puppets – put on a show!
Q is for Quiet Time – everyone needs some of this
R is for Reading aloud – choose a good book and a comfortable place to sit
S is for Seeds and Suet – put out food for the birds and watch them eat
T is for Tent – make one from old blankets and chairs
U is for Unplugged – do a day with no TV
V is for Variety – try something new everyday
W is for Walk – take one in any weather (be sure to dress appropriately)
X is for Xylophone – make your own with glasses, water and a metal spoon
Y is for Year – make a calendar or scrapbook to remember the year
Z is for Zoo – visit the animals

Cutting paper snowflakes is a fun and simple indoor winter activity. Here is a great video showing you how to cut some of your own. For younger kids is is best to keep the designs simple to avoid frustration if they cut away too much and it tears.

If you want to make virtual snowflakes, check out this great website: Make-a-Flake Website

A fun holiday activity to do with kids is making gingerbread houses.  You can buy kits with prebaked gingerbread and all the supplies or you can make your own using graham crackers.  Graham crackers are sold in the cookie/cracker aisle at the store.  The advantage to assembling your own supplies is that you can mix in some healthy decorations as opposed to all candy in the kits.  You can also let kids unleash their creativity.  There is no rule about how the houses must look, so they can build whatever they like.

Graham Cracker Houses

Here are the supplies to gather to make your own mini houses:

• box of graham crackers
• store bought whipped white frosting
• wax paper or foil (to cover the surface you work on)
• plastic knife (to spread the frosting)
• decorations (candies, mini pretzels, cereal, the possibilities are endless)

Set up a work space on the table for each child with their supplies

Mini Marshmallow Igloos

Another super easy and fun option is to make an igloo.

Here are the supplies you will need:

• empty single serving small plastic cups from applesauce of fruit 
• store bought whipped white frosting
• wax paper or foil (to cover the surface you work on)
• plastic knife (to spread the frosting)
• mini marshmallows

Mini Marshmallow Igloo

Simply let the child cover the outside of the cup with white frosting and place marshmallows on the frosting.

A post by special guest blogger, Alex from Austria:

Countdown calender – Adventkalender

The Christmas countdown starts on December 1!
To make it sweeter, funnier and not that long for kids, we in Austria (guess so in Germany too) have an “Adventkalender.”  That is a calender with 24 little gifts (mostly sweets) and you can open one number every day till the 24th of December!

I always love that and my mom still buys one for me, so I want to share that tradition with my hostchild!

The easiest way is to go to the shop and buy a ready made one with small little chocolate treats, but of course it is more fun for the kids to get a homemade one! I did that this year and it was fun for me too!

• I bought some sweets and small presents like a pen, warm socks, a cd or a toy (–> go to dollar tree, you can find cute stuff there and just for $1 ) and wrapped them into paper.
• Then write the 24 numbers on the little gifts.
• You can also make a number 25, but we in Austria open our presents on the 24th.
• I pinned my packages on a big carton that we can hang the calender on the wall and decorated it!

I made a Christmas tree with all the packages under it and some stars, but you can make something else too. Maybe a snowman and the gifts all look like snowflakes or what about the crib with mary and the baby and the stars are the gifts.. Whatever you want! – be creative and make an awesome Adventkalender!

It is very easy and it does not take very long and I guess it is a really nice gift for my little girl!

Try it too, I bet the kids love it
Have fun and Frohe Weihnachten (Merry Christmas)
Alex

Here is a video explaining how to carve a pumpkin (as well as some non-carving alternatives.) If you got a pumpkin at our pumpkin patch cluster meeting, I don’t recommend carving it yet. It would be better to wait until next weekend (10/27-28) if you want it to stay fresh for Halloween.

Find more fun Halloween & Fall Tips here on the APIA Pinterest board.

You will find lots of fun ideas for games, crafts, printables, activities and recipes related to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on the Camp Au Pair in America – London Olympics pinboard.

Fun Fact: The Olympic symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions, used alone, in one or in five different colors, which are, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green and red. The Olympic symbol (the Olympic rings) expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.

Contest: First au pair in my cluster to tell me what is their favorite event in the Summer Olympic games will win a prize. Send your answer via Facebook or email.

Photo: easypreschoolcraft.blogspot

You will find lots of fun ideas for games, crafts, printables, activities and recipes related to cars and trucks on the Au Pair in America Camp Au Pair – Cars & Trucks pinboard.

Photo: Kifli és levendula

You will find lots of fun ideas for games, crafts, printables, activities and recipes to create your own backyard beach adventures. Check out the

Au Pair in America Camp Au Pair – Backyard Beach pinboard.