It’s officially summer and what a great time to get outside and have some FUN! With the kids out of school and home during most of the day, it is a good idea to plan some activities that will keep them entertained and have a great time doing it! Check out the APiA Summer Fun Pinterest Board for some terrific new ideas, crafts, and creative snacking.
Enjoy!
To come together with families and kids some of our aupairs joined the fantastic atmosphere of the free concert series in Brookline last Wednesday. Our aupairs introduced other families to our program and families had a chance to speak directly with questions to our aupairs.
Lisa from Germany
Vanessa and Lisa from Germany
This boy had a lot of fun with the beach balls we handed out to play
Lisa, Mareike and Linda from Germany who will go home after one year of being an aupair
We got together with a group of aupairs to say good bye’s to many of them who will go back to their home country soon after spending one or two years in Boston as an aupair with their hostfamilies.
We shared many great experiences and new friendships developed easily with new arrivals who came for their first meeting.
Left: Anika form Germany who just arrived in our cluster, Right: Vanessa from Germany who will start her travel month soon after being an aupair for 2 years.
Christina from Germany with her boyfriend Wes from Brazil. She also spend two years as an aupair in Boston. We will miss her !
From left: Maye from Mexico, Susanna from Costa Rica and Candice from South Africa.
For more pictures go to meeting at the Vapiano restaurant 2012.
Dehydration The little ones, especially, forget to drink or to tell you that they need to drink. If you find the children not looking well and/or getting cranky toward the afternoon, it might be because they’re tired, or it might be because they’re dehydrated. Remember: By the time a person feels thirsty, he’s already partly dehydrated, so drink to prevent thirst, not to quench it. Common symptoms of dehydration are crankiness, headaches, aches in the joints and weariness. And don’t allow your child to fill up on juice or soft drinks; these are dehydrators. Water or child-appropriate hydrating drinks are best.
However, if you or your child has severe dehydration (dry mouth, sunken eyes, reluctant to drink, unable to pee or cry, high fever, lethargy), call for emergency help and have your child sip an electrolyte-replacement fluid (such as Pedialyte).
Hot Cars: Don’t EVER leave children alone in the car — not even for a moment. Besides the danger of abduction, the temperature in a car can skyrocket in minutes. And, if you see an unattended young child in a vehicle, please call 911, the police or other emergency personnel. Your call could save the child’s life.
Drowning: Always actively supervise children in and around water. Infants and children can drown in bathtubs, swimming pools, ponds or almost any other water. Toddlers aren’t strong enough to lift themselves back out of a toilet, bucket, container or wading pool.
Sun Protection: Children’s skin and eyes are more sensitive to ultraviolet rays. Babies should be protected from direct sun entirely. Toddlers, preschoolers and older children should be covered well in sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) at least one half hour before going out in the sun. Sunscreen should be reapplied every hour or so, and it should be reapplied after the child has been in water. Don’t forget ears, hands, feet, lips and under the eyes. Also, make sure your child wears a hat and sunglasses when out in the sun for any length of time.
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States
Our Boston firework takes place at the Charles River
Please go to Boston July 4th celebration for more info.
The Boston department of Conservation & Recreation, presents summer, fall, winter and spring concerts and events in the parks which they manage and maintain.
From summer concerts & performances free family movies on Friday nights – Come enjoy some free family entertainment at the Hatch Shell this year!
The Hatch Shell and surrounding Esplanade area is a renowned venue for free outdoor events and programs. From classical music concerts and Free Friday Flicks to the treasured Boston July 4th celebration, this calendar offers something for everyone.
Plus, just steps away – kids & families can enjoy the brand new climbing playscape. This totally unique rope structure is a great way to burn off some energy along banks of the Charles River.
Team Au Pair in America for the Walk for Hunger
Sabine and Theresa from Austria who finished 20 miles with many others
Yesterday our team Au Pair in America walked the Walk for Hunger to help the community raise money and awareness about hunger in MA.
Many of the team finished the 20 miles: Ladys from Panama, Candice from South Africa, Charlotte from France, Susanna from Costa Rica, Maye from Mexico, Ruanpen from Thailand, Sabine and Theresa from Austria.
Sabine and Theresa : Just 5 more miles back to Boston....
For more pictures please go to Walk for Hunger 2012
Celebrate Earth Day at the Picnic for the Planet at the Boston Common Frog Pond this weekend!How are you going to celebrate Earth Day this weekend? Have you got any special plans yet? If you’re looking for a fun-filled, family-friendly way to celebrate Earth Day, make plans to check out what’s happening at the Boston Common Frog Pond right here in Boston this Sunday!
Presented by the Nature Conservancy, Picnic for the Planet will be held at the Boston Common Frog Pond (located at 84 Beacon Street in Boston) on Sunday, April 22, 2012, beginning at 11:00 am and ending at 5:00 pm.
There will be plenty of awesome fun and entertainment at the Picnic for the Planet at the Boston Common Frog Pond this weekend. Festivities will include the D2E Green Spot, family-friendly recycling demonstrations, children’s arts & crafts, composting information, and much more.
The Picnic for the Planet is open to the public, and admission is free for everyone. If you’d like to find out more information about this special Earth Day celebration, call 617-635-2120.
On April 22, more than one billion people around the globe will participate in Earth Day 2012 and help Mobilize the Earth™. People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection. Together we will stand united for a sustainable future and call upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part.
Attend a local Earth Day event and join one of our Earth Day campaigns as we collect A Billion Acts of Green® and elevate the importance of environmental issues around the world. Together we will Mobilize the Earth™ on April 22 and demand change
Each year, Earth Day — April 22 — marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
The height of hippie and flower-child culture in the United States, 1970 brought the death of Jimi Hendrix, the last Beatles album, and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Protest was the order of the day, but saving the planet was not the cause. War raged in Vietnam, and students nationwide increasingly opposed it.
At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. “Environment” was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news. Although mainstream America remained oblivious to environmental concerns, the stage had been set for change by the publication of Rachel Carson’s New York Times bestseller Silent Spring in 1962. The book represented a watershed moment for the modern environmental movement, selling more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries and, up until that moment, more than any other person, Ms. Carson raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and public health.
Earth Day 1970 capitalized on the emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and putting environmental concerns front and center.
We enjoyed the view from the Blue Hills of the Boston skyline at our April cluster meeting. We started at the Trailside museum in Milton. This is a great place where aupairs can take kids to visit the museum with live animals who are in our forest and to enjoy the nature outdoors as well.
A 20 min hike over a rocky walkway leads to the outlook with picnic tables. Many families come here from the greater Boston area to enjoy hiking on easy and more challanging trails.
Boston skyline from the top of the Blue Hills
From left to right: Me, Jen from France, Christina from Germany, Camille and Charlotte from France
Christina from Germany
To view more pics please go to Blue Hills 2012.
Celebrating Easter
Easter is one of the most awaited Christian festivals. It is celebrated throughout the world by the followers of Christian community. It is considered to be very auspicious as it is believed that this was the day when Christ resurrected after crucifixion. This day is of immense religious as well as social significance amongst the Christian community.
Church services and festive celebrations blend together during the Easter weekend. On Easter Sunday in New York and other cities, large Easter parades are held. Easter in USA is also very much commercialized. Easter symbols like bunnies, Easter tree, Easter Eggs and Easter lamb are found in different forms during the Easter festivities throughout the market. The popular trend of Easter symbols such as the Easter bunny and egg tree were introduced to the American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. Gradually American people took to crafts such as egg and Easter tree decoration. Easter in US is also a time to enjoy special Easter foods such as baked ham, potatoes and vegetables. Several special recipes are made at each home. Easter parties are also organized where traditional Easter delicacies are served and people enjoy wonderful get together along with Easter games and music.
For children’s Easter games and activities go to: http://www.thekidzpage.com/easter_games/index.html
Observing Passover
Passover is an eight day celebration observed each year by the Jewish religion. It commemorates the freedom of Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. Families celebrate Passover by having a seder. With special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Seder means order, and the Passover story is read in order from a book called a haggadah.
Fearing that Jews were becoming too strong, a Pharaoh decreed that all male Jewish babies were to be killed. Jocheved and Amran, a Jewish couple, wanted to save their infant son – so they put him in a basket that floated him down the river. The infant was rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter and she raised him as her own son. She named the baby Moses, which means “take from the water.”
When Moses grew up, he empathized with the Jewish slaves and tried to get the Pharaoh to free them. The Pharaoh refused – so there were 10 plagues sent down to Egypt: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, and Slaying of the Firstborn. The name Passover comes from the Plague of Slaying the Firstborn. The Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Jews who had put lambs blood on their doors.
After the 10th plague, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jewish slaves go. They gathered up their belongings quickly, and didn’t have time for their bread to rise, so they had to bake it and take it the way it was. This is why the Jewish people eat matzah during Passover. As the Jews were fleeing, Pharaoh changed his mind, and sent his army after the people to bring them back. Moses parted the Red Sea for the Jews to cross, and as soon as they were safely to the other side, the waters closed on the soldiers, drowning them all. The Jewish people were free.
For children’s activities go to: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/passover/
