Au Pair Chatter

Have you ever been to a drive-in movie? Drive-in movies are outdoor theaters where the movie is projected on a large screen and you watch from your car. There were once over 4,000 drive-in theaters in the U.S., now only a few hundred remain.

One of those still operating is right here in Maryland, in the Baltimore area.  Bengies Drive-In has been in business since 1956.  It is about an hour drive from most parts of our cluster, but since they are the only one left in the entire state of Maryland, that doesn’t sound so far.

Click here to visit the website

I have been taking my kids to drive-in movies at Bengie’s for the past few years and we love it.

The drive-in is only open Spring-Fall.

Drive-In Movie Tips for First Timers:

1. You pay one price whether you stay for 1, 2 or all 3 movies.
2. You may stay in your car or bring chairs to sit in in front of your parking space.
3. If you go in the summer and plan to sit outside, bring insect repellent spray or bug bracelets.
4. If you go in the fall when the weather is cool, bring blankets.
5. You cannot bring in outside food or drinks, unless you purchase an outside food permit. I recommend you buy your snacks there. They have some interesting options that you don’t see at a regular movie concession stand and that’s part of the full experience.
6. Before you go, read the information on their website about headlights. You need to know how to disable your headlights when you are inside the movie.
7. You also need to figure out how to turn your vehicle to the “accessory setting” with your key. This will allow you to listen to the movie without draining your battery. VERY IMPORTANT
8. There is a note on their website about how to enter their address with GPS units because they don’t come up as Baltimore on GPS.

If you give it a try, let me know how you like it!

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.

You will find lots of fun ideas for games, crafts, printables, activities and recipes to explore under the sea adventures. Check out the

Au Pair in America Camp Au Pair – Under the Sea pinboard.

Photo: 4crazykings.blogspot.com

You will find lots of fun ideas for games, crafts, printables, activities and recipes to explore dinosaurs. Check out the

Au Pair in America Camp Au Pair – Dinosaurs pinboard.

Photo: projectsforpreschoolers.com

You will find lots of fun ideas for games, crafts, printables, activities and recipes to get kids cooking and learning about nutrition. Check out the

Au Pair in America Camp Au Pair – Kids Cooking pinboard.

The term “bucket list” was popularized in the 2007 Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie. The idea is to make a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” (which is an idiom referring to death.) Even though that sounds kind of morbid, the idea has taken off as something much more positive and people create bucket lists to log the things they want to do at some point in their life.

With that said, a Summer Bucket list is a list of things to do before this summer ends.

Click here to print your own summer bucket list

Get lots of ideas to put on your list on our APIA Summer Fun Pinterest Board.

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:

After the movie, do activities related to the movie:

BOWIE STADIUM 14

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

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

6/12-6/13 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
6/19-6/20 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
7/3-7/4 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
7/10-7/11 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
7/17-7/18 – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
7/24-7/25 – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
7/31-8/1 – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
8/7-8/8 – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS

MAJESTIC STADIUM 20 & IMAX

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

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

6/19-6/20 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
6/26-6/27 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
7/3-7/4  – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
7/10-7/11  – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
7/17-7/18 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
7/24-7/25  – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
7/31-8/1  – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
8/7-8/8  – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
8/14-8/15  – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS

Annapolis Harbour 9 (FREE)

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

Doors open at 9 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/19-6/20 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE
6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS
7/3-7/4  -  YOGI BEAR
7/10-7/11  – HAPPY FEET TWO
7/17-7/18 – JOURNEY 2
7/24-7/25  – DOLPHIN TALE
7/31-8/1  – SHORTS
8/7-8/8  – INKHEART
8/14-8/15  – HAPPY FEET