Category Archives: Blog

Camp Au Pair – Dinosaurs

Our next Camp Au Pair theme is Dinosaurs.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to dinosaurs can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Dinosaurs 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 and be sure to take all social distancing precautions.

Field Trip Ideas:

  • Children’s museum
  • Natural history museum
  • Parks with fossil hunting programs
  • Play spaces with dinosaur areas
  • Science centers

Virtual Field Trips:

Toys – Many kids have dinosaur toys already. See what your kids have and think of fun, new ways you can play with these toys with them. Imagine taking a plastic dinosaur and making footprints in play dough to form your own fossils.

Webcam – The Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland offers a webcam where you can watch paleontologists remove rock from around fossils.

Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about dinosaurs and fossils. Here are a few to get you started.

Movies – Here are some movies that fit the dinosaur theme.

  • Dinosaur
  • Dinosaur Island
  • Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
  • Land Before Time
  • Lego Jurassic World
  • The Good Dinosaur
  • Walking with Dinosaurs
  • We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story

For older kids:

  • Journey to the Center of the Earth
  • Jurassic Park (which is rated PG-13)

Books – Check your kids’ bookshelf for books on dinosaurs. You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube.

Photo: krojotak.com

Things To Consider If You Plan To Use Your Au Pair Travel Month.

Your j-1 visa allows you to stay within the USA up to 30 days after your APIA contract has ended. This time can be used to visit places that you have not been able to see. The travel month requires careful planning and organization. Coordinating your plans with your host family is important before you make any plans. 

Here are some things to consider:

  • Because your contract has ended, you cannot continue earning your Au Pair stipend with your host family. Saving your stipend money to support yourself and the cost of traveling is important. 
  • Travel month medical insurance must be purchased if you stay more than 3 days. This is a requirement of the State Department. Anyone who stays without proof of medical insurance would be subject to having the J-1 visa travel month status revoked.
  • Travel is limited to WITHIN the USA. Your visa and DS-2019 have expired. If you leave the USA, you would most likely be denied re-entry.
  • If you are hopeful to stay in the host home while traveling or to use it as a base to come back to while traveling in the USA. It’s a good idea to discuss your plans with your host family. Some host families will not be able to accommodate you as they will have another Au pair arriving. The new AP will move into the Au Pair bedroom upon her arrival. In this case, a plan for hotel or hostel accommodations for your travel time should be made. 
  • Your host family might prefer that you not be in the home while training the new AP. It is difficult to train and support the new Au Pair while you are still there. The children will naturally prefer you and this is hard for the new Au Pair. Also, the host family may want to change some rules for the next year. It might be confusing if you are currently living within a different set of rules than the Au Pair will have. 
  • The phone and car that you are using may not be available. These will need to be given to the newly arrived Au Pair. 
  • Your Georgia driving license will expire on the date listed on your DS-2019 form. You will have your international permit and country’s license. If these are no longer valid, it could affect your ability to rent a car and to drive in the USA. 

Camp Au Pair – Outer Space

Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Outer Space. Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to outer space can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Outer Space pinboard.
  Here is a fun one that combines a science lesson, art, and snack time.
  Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings and be sure to check hours and admission information on the websites before you go. Here are a few places to go, that fit this theme:
    • Air & Space Museum
    • Planetarium
    • Science Center
Webcams – You can do a Google search for websites with webcams that allow you to observe space. Here is one from the International Space Station to get you started. Online Games – NASA has a gallery of free space games for kids. Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about outer space. Here are a few to get you started.
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.
Movies – Here are some movies that fit the space theme.
  • WALL-E
  • Zathura
  • Monsters vs. Aliens
  • Star Wars
Here are some movies that are PG-13 and may be appropriate for older kids.
  • Hidden Figures
  • The Martian
Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on outer space. You can also find books being read aloud on Youtube.  Me & My Place in Space, There Was an Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon, and Mae Among the Stars are a few fun ones to get you started.   Story Time from Space is a YouTube channel with real astronauts reading children’s books aloud.

Photo: alittlepinchofperfect.com

Camp Au Pair – Cars & Trucks

Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme will be Cars & Trucks.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to all kinds of vehicles can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Cars & Trucks pinboard.

Field Trips can be an excellent way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings. Here are a few field trips that go with this theme:

  • Go kart track (even if they aren’t old enough to drive, watching the cars is fun.)
  • Look for construction areas where the kids can observe big machines in action. Kids should observe from the car or a safe area.
  • Keep an eye out for the trash truck and let them watch the truck in action.
  • Go to a drive-through car wash and/or let the kids make their own car wash at home.

Virtual Field Trips

  • Watch vehicles being assembled with virtual auto plant tours from Toyota & BMW.

Videos – Mighty Machines & Amazing Big Trucks are kid-friendly video channels showing machinery and big trucks in action. Look for fun videos on YouTube about cars and trucks.

Movies – Here are some movies that fit the cars and trucks theme.

  • Bumble Bee
  • Bob the Builder Mega Machines
  • Cars, Cars 2 & 3
  • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  • Go Karts
  • Speed Racer
  • The Love Bug
  • Turbo 

Books – Check your kids’ bookshelf for books on cars & trucks. You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube. Cool Cars , Little Blue Truck, The Garbage Trucks Are Coming Today, and With Any Luck, I’ll Drive a Truck  are a few fun ones to get you started.

Image: funlearningforkids.com

Camp Au Pair – Bugs & Butterflies

Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme will be Bugs & Butterflies. More than 100 crafts, recipes, and activities related to all kinds of bugs, insects, butterflies, and spiders can be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Bugs & Butterflies  pinboard.
Field Trips can be an excellent 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.
  • Butterfly exhibits
  • Flower Gardens
  • Natural History Museums
  • Parks with Nature Areas
  • Zoo
Games – There are more bug and butterfly-themed games than you might expect. Outdoors – Kids today do not spend enough time outdoors. Take the kids in the backyard or another nature area (approved by your host parents) and do some activities related to this theme:
  • Allow them to search for bugs and butterflies.
  • Observe lightning bugs (also known as fireflies) in the evening. Here is a map showing what people call these little guys in different parts of the country.
  • After it rains, look for earthworms. Not bugs or butterflies, but very interesting creatures you can find in your own backyard.
NOTE: If you are outdoors with the children, be sure to check for ticks when you come back inside. Here is a blog post explaining the health risk ticks can pose and how to find and remove them safely. Webcams – You can do a Google search for websites with webcams that allow you to observe bugs. Here are some to get you started. Books – Make a trip to the library and/or check your kids’ bookshelf for books on bugs and butterflies. You may find some classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. You can also find books being read aloud on YouTube videos like this one. Movies – There are lots of movies with insect themes.
  • The Ant Bully
  • Antz
  • A Bugs Life
  • The Bee Movie
  • Charlotte’s Web
  • James & the Giant Peach
  • Maya the Bee 
  • Miniscule: Valley of the Lost Ants
  • Wings of Life (documentary)
Videos – You can find many great videos of butterflies and insects on YouTube. Check out these videos for kids about bees and ants. All about Insects covers lots of tiny creatures who crawl and fly. Here are a few videos to get you started.

Image: minieco.co.uk

Camp Au Pair – Science (STEM)

Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Science (STEM). This includes science, technology, engineering, and math.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to all things science, technology, engineering, and math can be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Science (STEM) 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. Here are a few places to go, that fit this theme:
    • Airport Observation Area
    • Aquarium
    • Factory Tour
    • Farm
    • Krispy Kreme Doughnuts – Some locations have a viewing area where you can watch the machines used to make them.
    • Museums
    • Nature Centers
    • Planetarium
Virtual Field Trips Videos – On YouTube, you can find many great videos of science experiments to do with kids.
The Magic School Bus is a cartoon series with episodes on lots of great science topics. You can find some episodes on YouTube and the full series on Paramount Plus.
Bill Nye the Science Guy is science TV series for kids. There is an episode guide on his website with clips and explanations on a wide variety of science topics. Movies – The Lego Movie, Big Hero 6, Wall-E, Hidden Figures, Robots, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Flubber, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Meet the Robinsons all fit the STEM theme. Webcams – You can do a Google search for science websites with webcams. Here is a collection of 22 science webcams from around the world. Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on science, technology, engineering, and math. You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube. Here are a few to get you started.

Remember… Science is learning about how things work through observation and experimentation. Every day is full of opportunities to encourage children’s natural curiosity about the world!

Image: sweetpaulmag.com

Camp Au Pair – Nature Exploration

Our next Camp Au Pair theme is Nature Exploration.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Nature Exploration pinboard. 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.
  • Aviary
  • Farms
  • Nature Preserve
  • Parks
  • Consider joining the Free Forest School to find outings near you.
Virtual Field Trips: Webcams – You can do a Google search for websites with webcams that allow you to observe nature. Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about nature.
Books – Check your bookshelves and/or stop by your local library and look for books on nature.  You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube. Here are a few to get you started.

Image: toddleratplay.com

Camp Au Pair – Under the Sea

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:

  • Pet or outdoor store (Bass Pro Shop) with fish tanks
  • Aquarium
  • Zoo
  • Nature Center

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.

  • Virtual Underwater Dive
  • Online Games
  • Puzzle, Activity & Coloring Sheets

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.

  • A Dolphin Tale 
  • Finding Dory
  • Finding Nemo
  • Little Mermaid
  • Moana
  • Moana 2
  • Shark Tale 
  • Song of the Sea

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

Welcome to Camp Au Pair in America!

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:

  • Under the Sea
  • Outer Space
  • Nature Exploration
  • Dinosaurs
  • Cars and Trucks
  • Bugs & Butterflies
  • Science (STEM)
  • Backyard Safari
  • Art Experiences

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!

Coursera can be a great resource for your educational requirements.

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