Image: sweetpaulmag.com
Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. You can start observing nature at any local park or in your own backyard. If you want to take it a step further, Below is a list of other local places to go explore nature. Get permission from your host parents before any outings and check websites before you go for hours and information.
Safety note: When coming inside after you have been outside exploring nature, it’s always a good idea to check the children and yourself for ticks. For more information, take a look at this post.
Image: toddleratplay.com
Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Under the Sea.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to creatures who live under the sea can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Under the Sea pinboard.
Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings. Check the websites before you go to be sure you understand the hours, costs, and whether advance tickets/reservations are required. Search online to see if your area has any of the following:
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – NOAA has a lot of fun, interactive and educational activities on their website. They focus on whales, sharks, sea turtles, sea lions and more.
Webcams – You can do a google search for aquariums and zoos across the country (and the world) with webcams that allow you to observe sea creatures. Here are a few to get you started.
Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about sea creatures. There’s more to see than Baby Shark. Movies like Finding Nemo, Dolphin Tale, and The Little Mermaid also go well with this theme.
Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on sea creatures. The Rainbow Fish is a classic children’s book, your kids may already own. If not, you can find videos like this of it being read aloud.
Movies – There are lots of movies with under the sea themes.
Television – There are some episodes of children’s television shows that talk about life under the sea.
The Magic School Bus is a television series that follows Ms. Frizzle and her class as they set off on field trips. Most episodes can be found on YouTube. Here are some episodes that fit this week’s theme.
Bill Nye the Science Guy has episodes on Fish, Marine Animals and more on YouTube.
The Discovery Channel has an annual Shark Week coming up on July 20. Check out 15 JAW-some Activities for Shark Week with lots of fun ideas for kids in grades 5 and up, but a few for younger kids too.
Photo: mimisdollhouse.com
When kids are out of school for the summer, it doesn’t take long for them to become bored and sometimes that leads to sibling squabbles and mischief. Even though they don’t realize it, they are usually missing routine and predictability in their daily schedule. One solution is to make fun plans to keep them busy!
Each week this summer we will share a different Camp Au Pair theme. These weekly themes are designed to give you ideas to keep your host kids occupied and engaged all summer long. They will also be learning. (But shhhh, don’t tell them that part.) Check back each Friday, for the next week’s theme. This gives you a chance to make plans and gather materials for the next week. For each theme there will be crafts, games, snacks and activities. You can just use these ideas or add your own and customize the themes to fit the ages and interests of your host children.
Here are the themes you can look forward to:
Check out Summer Fun & Summer Holidays pin boards for even more ideas.
If you get some great pictures doing these activities with your host kids, please send those to your community counselor. We love to share your accomplishments and inspire other au pairs!
Let’s make this an amazing summer!
In-person classes are the BEST way to achieve your State Department Mandated Educational hours. However, if you cannot find a course that fits your schedule or is affordable, an online class could be helpful. Special consideration can be given in some situations. Talk to your community counselor before registering for any online class.
Tips for using Coursera to obtain your educational requirement
You can take any online course from a USA-accredited college, university or technical school.
Google, Academy of Sports Medicine, IBM and Meta are examples of companies and institutions that are NOT accredited in the University system and cannot be used for your educational requirements. Many private companies will call themselves a ” college”. Please verify with your LCC that the school is accredited in the University system and accepted by the State Dept.
If you are interested in a Coursera course you can search through the options of the subject you are interested in. Each course will offer a different number of hours.
You must obtain 72 hours. Scroll to see the hours the class provides. Coursera charges a small fee per month OR for the “free” classes the certificate will cost approximately 49.00.
A certificate is necessary. Make an account with Coursera to have access to your certificate.
This should be emailed as a PDF to your LCC. Please don’t include in the body of the email. No texts will be accepted.
Most Au Pair will finish the course much quicker than is designated by Coursera. The Coursera classes are self-paced. This means that you can take them any time you have time.
You must get 72 hours.
You can only take one online course per semester. If the course doesn’t offer all 72 hours, you will need to wait to take another course in the next semester after 3 months. There is a spring, summer, fall, and winter semester. If you submit two certificates dated in the same semester, only one can be used!!!!!!
Your education must be finished 6 weeks before your term ends.
BE CAREFUL TO LOOK at the name of the college. Not all on Coursera are from USA colleges. BEFORE starting a class—send the link to your LCC to confirm it will meet the requirements.
Personal Enrichment:
Don’t know what career you want to have? 67 hours https://www.coursera.org/specializations/career-discovery
Want to be more successful?
70 hours https://www.coursera.org/specializations/professional-success-skills
Marketing:
Social Media Marketing: 40 hours https://www.coursera.org/specializations/social-media-marketing
160 hours Digital Marketing: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/digital-marketing?
Business:
Business Foundations Specialization 65 hours https://www.coursera.org/specializations/wharton-business-foundations
120 hours Innovation: From Creativity to Entrepreneurship Specialization
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/innovation-creativity-entrepreneurship
Human Resources 80 hours https://www.coursera.org/specializations/human-resource-management
Spanish:
80 hours https://www.coursera.org/specializations/learn-spanish
Psychology:
82 hours Foundations of Positive Psychology https://www.coursera.org/specializations/positivepsychology?
37 hours Social Psychology https://www.coursera.org/learn/social-psychology
40 hours Abnormal Psychology https://www.coursera.org/specializations/abnormal-psychology
English Language:
160 hours Teaching English to non-English speakers. https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/arizona-state-university-tesol
60 hours Introduction to Teaching English Learners Specialization https://www.coursera.org/specializations/intro-to-teaching-english-learners
80 hours Advanced Grammar and Punctuation https://www.coursera.org/specializations/advanced-grammar-punctuation
120 hours Business English Communication Skills https://www.coursera.org/specializations/english-for-business?
Health and Nutrition:
24 hours- Food Sustainability and Mindful Eating. https://www.coursera.org/specializations/food-sustainability-mindful-eating-healthy-cooking
80 hours Heathy Sustainable food and products. https://www.coursera.org/specializations/healthy-sustainable-foods-products
70 hours Essentials of Global Health. https://www.coursera.org/learn/essentials-global-health
20 hours Feeding the World https://www.coursera.org/learn/feedingtheworld
53 hours Engineering Health intro to Yoga and physiology https://www.coursera.org/learn/engineering-health-yoga-physiology?
80 hours Integrative Health and Medicine. https://www.coursera.org/specializations/integrative-health-and-medicine
Music 40 hours each course. Can only take one per semester!! https://www.coursera.org/specializations/songwriting#courses https://www.coursera.org/specializations/music-business https://www.coursera.org/specializations/musicianship-specialization
Holiday Season in the USA will be a very special time for your family and Au pair. It can also be a time when the Au Pair may need a little extra support. Consider these tips:
HALLOWEEN SAFETY
When kids are out of school for the summer, it doesn’t take long for them to become bored and sometimes that leads to sibling squabbles and mischief. Even though they don’t realize it, they are usually missing routine and predictability in their daily schedule. One solution is to make fun plans to keep them busy!
Each week this summer we will share a different Camp Au Pair theme. These weekly themes are designed to give you ideas to keep your host kids occupied and engaged all summer long. They will also be learning. (But shhhh, don’t tell them that part.) Check back each Friday, for the next week’s theme. This gives you a chance to make plans and gather materials for the next week. For each theme there will be crafts, games, snacks and activities. You can just use these ideas or add your own and customize the themes to fit the ages and interests of your host children.
Here are the themes you can look forward to:
Check out Summer Fun & Summer Holidays pin boards for even more ideas.
If you get some great pictures doing these activities with your host kids, please send those to your community counselor. We love to share your accomplishments and inspire other au pairs!
Let’s make this an amazing summer!
Tips for Communication During Conflict with Your Host Family.
How you approach an issue of concern with your host family will often determine the outcome. A thoughtful, respectful approach will prompt success, but an aggressive, demanding conversation is likely to harm your relationship. American culture is supportive of positive solution-focused communication. Talking about concerns is hard, but well worth the effort.
Keeping kids busy and active is the key to success for those long summer days!
When kids are out of school for the summer, it doesn’t take long for them to become bored. Boredom leads to sibling squabbles and mischief! Children don’t realize how much they miss the routine and predictability in their daily schedule. One solution is to make fun plans to keep them busy! Make Camp Au Pair!
Have a ready list of easy, fun activities that you can do with your host children. Get prepared for the upcoming week by getting a list of what is needed and asking the host parents for help in purchasing your supplies.
Use your Au Pair In America resources to find activities and ideas. Check your Au Pair portal for “150 Things to Do with Children”. This is jammed with super ideas.
My favorite outside activity is making super planet size bubbles, using a homemade bubble recipe. Ask your host dad to bend wire coat hangers into large circles with a handle. Outside on the driveway, pour the bubble mix into a shallow dish large enough for the circular coat hanger. A clean trash can lid works great. See how large you get can your bubbles to float!
Create your own bubble solution by gently combining 1 cup dish soap, 1 tbsp glycerine and 4 cups water in a large bucket.
Check out Au Pair in America’s Pinterest pages; Summer Fun & Summer Holidays pin boards for even more ideas.
10 fun ideas:
1.Dance-Put on classical music and move like trees or animals!
2.Cook-Freeze juice and make yummy popsicles!
3.Craft-Make a craft out of leftover Popsicle sticks or shells from the beach trip.
4.Make a tent-Use the Kitchen table and a sheet to make a cool place to get out of the sun on a hot day!
5.Dress up-Be Super man or a princess! Have fun pretending.
6. Chalk on the driveway-Endless fun with drawing pictures and hopscotch!
7.Balls-Make up a new game outside with the ball or just toss or kick
8.Read out loud and use funny voices to make all the characters come alive!
9.Bird watch-See how many kinds of birds you can find in your back yard. Look them up on Google to identify what kind of bird it is. Have a bird watch every day to keep track of them 10. Plant a sunflower– Plant seeds in a super, sunny place and water it every day!
