Yearly Archives: 2010

Valentine's Day

hearts

February 14 –  Valentine’s Day is a time of love, friendship, giving, and caring. Americans use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to tell friends and family how much they care.  Children usually exchange cards at school. Everyone wants to know they are thought of and  loved AND  this is the day to show it. Some show it by giving a card other’s show it by giving candy or a small gift.

Be sure to check out the following link for things to do and make this Valentine’s Day — http://www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/calendars/#14

 

February 7- Super Bowl Sunday!

footballFebruary 7- Super Bowl Sunday!
The Super Bowl is the annual American Football championship and a popular time for friends to gather in front of the TV. Each year millions of people watch the game, the half-time show – or just the commercials!  People will be talking about the commercials for days. A HUGE part of this day is the FOOD especially snack food.  This is a great time to really connect with your host  family. Why not offer to make a snack from your country prepared by you and your host children. You might even want to make a football “Trivia” game to play with your host children while the adults are watching the game. If you have some ideas to make this day fun for the kids please share them with us.   To learn more about football visit the “Life in the US” section of this website http://aupairinamerica.com/resources/life_in_the_us/football.asp

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is February 2nd.  

 

Groundhog Day is held on Feb. 2, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every year, and you might be wondering how a groundhog landed the job of predicting the weather. If you’re unfamiliar with the tradition, it goes like this: If the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, sees his shadow, we’re stuck with six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we luck out with an early spring.

The tradition dates back to 1887, and though the origins are unclear, it is said to have originated from ancient Europe.   It also has religious origins, as it shares similarities with Candelmas Day, which is also today.  There is  an old English saying, “If Candlemas be fair and bright,/ Come, Winter, have another flight.

Here are fun facts about Groundhog Day:

1. Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow the overwhelming majority of years

2. The National Climatic Data Center reportedly stated that Phil’s prediction’s have been correct 39 percent of the time. This number is in conflict with Phil’s followers, who claim he’s been correct every year.

3. Following the release of the movie Groundhog Day in 1993, starring Bill Murray, as many as  30,000 made the trip to visit the tiny hill in Punxsutawney where the ceremony takes place.

4. Groundhogs typically live only six to eight years

National Puzzle Day

Get creative, make your own puzzle

Get creative, make your own puzzle

Today is National Puzzle Day!

Do a puzzle or make one of your own. Au Pairs can help the children to find a fun picture in a magazine and glue it to lightweight cardboard. Cut into shapes. If the children are small, make it just a few easy shapes. To make your own word or math puzzles with the children, visit http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/.

Bubble Wrap turns 50!!

This cake is a lie! Sealed Air Corp

This cake is a lie! Sealed Air Corp

America’s beloved Bubble Wrap turns 50 today, proving that even ephemeral plastic bubbles can morph into a timeless invention. But consider that if the original inventors had their way, people would have used “Air Cap” as wallpaper — a concept that would have undoubtedly proved as fulfilling as the prototype model future homes of the 1950s.

Bubble Wrap represents perhaps the ultimate garage invention as the brainchild of New Jersey engineers Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding in 1960. Yet it only took off as fun air-filled shipping material after the wall decor idea died, and people soon discovered the joys of popping each air-filled bubble by hand, or en masse using their bodies or other implements.

Manufacturer Sealed Air Corp. has recognized the joy that its product brings by officially declaring this Monday Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. Part of the celebration involves a limited one-day run of golden Bubble Wrap at the company’s Saddle River, N.J. facility, and the rest is presumably up to the end users. Do you store the golden Bubble Wrap for the grandkids, or do you indulge your inner child here and now?

It’s somewhat remarkable that a love of Bubble Wrap remains alive and well even in an age when the digital world’s allure may increasingly substitute for simpler worldly pleasures. Millions of Facebook users have declared themselves fans of Bubble Wrap, and Bandai has rolled out a virtual bubble-popping app for your iPhone or iPod.

So take some time today at work or at home to roll some Bubble Wrap between your fingers, find a satisfying air pocket, and squeeze. And don’t forget that kids love to pop those little bubbles too! Just don’t get caught in a traffic jam with a 7 year old popping bubble wrap in the back seat!

Fun with Hibernation!

A racoon sleeps during the cold winter months

A racoon sleeps during the cold winter months

Animals handle cold winter weather in different ways. Some, such as birds, butterflies, and whales, migrate to warmer climates. Some animals, like deer, fox, and moose, grow thicker fur coats so they can stay warm during the winter. However many animals hibernate during the coldest weather – they spend the warmer months of the year eating and storing as much body fat as they can and then live off this extra weight as they sleep in the winter. Bats, some mice, frogs and many squirrels sleep all winter. Others, including chipmunks and raccoons, wake up once in a while to eat and then they go back to sleep. Have fun learning about the art of hibernation with your children during this cold time of the year.

At the library!

Look for books about animals in winter.

  • The Story of Jumping Mouse: A Native American Legend by John Steptoe
  • Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
  • When Will It Be Spring? By Catherine Walters
  • The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting
  • Bearymore by Don Freeman
  • Bernard Bear’s Amazing Adventure by Hans de Beer
  • Wake Me in Spring by James Preller
  • Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky
  • Chipmunk Song by Joanne Ryder

Watch for animals in your neighborhood. Are there more or less than in the warmer weather?

To learn more about animals that hibernate go to http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/winter/win2.html

To color hibernating pages online go to http://www.enchantedlearning.com/painting/Hibernate.shtml

HIBERNATING GAME!  Here is a fun game for you to play.  It’s called “HIBERNATION”.  First you must pretend to be one of the animals you have researched. Curl up and “sleep” and then wake up HUNGRY for snack time!  Yea…fun!!

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King, a powerful speaker

Martin Luther King, a powerful speaker

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, but he is honored on the third Monday of the month with a federal holiday. Martin Luther King Jr. was an important leader of the Civil Rights Movement here in America during the 1950s and 60s. The holiday was created as a day to remember his fight for the freedom, equality, and dignity of all races and peoples, and as a time to remember the message of change through nonviolence. For more information about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., visit www.holidays.net/mlk.

To discover fun facts about Martin Luther King and to do some crafts and activities on this special holiday go to www.educational-kids-crafts.suite101.com/article.cfm/celebrate_martin_luther_king_day

ABC's of Winter Fun!

Au Pairs in the Chicago area are challenged to find fun and interesting things to do with children while indoors during the cold, winter months.  Au pairs are encouraged to provide interactive child care and to have a new activity planned for the children in their care.

kids-baking

Muddy Hand Cookies

2/3 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa mix

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla together. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly and then add to butter mixture. Blend together thoroughly.

Chill dough in wax paper until firm; about 2 hours.

Roll dough to ¼” thick on floured surface.

Lay your hand on the dough and cut around to make your hand print.

Bake  on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350F for 6-8 minutes!

ABC’s of Winter Fun

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

drivein

Indoor “Drive-in” Movie

Help your child to decorate a box as a car so he can sit in it to watch a movie. Make movie tickets. Consider inviting a couple of other kids to join in.

Choose a new or old favorite movie for a special ‘cold afternoon treat’.

Serve appropriate snacks to eat during the movie.