Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Art Experiences.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to art can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Art Experiences pinboard.
Culture Sharing – Share any specific forms of art that are popular in your home country (mosaics, origami, murals, fabric dying, etc.) Are there any famous artists from your country that you could share their works with your host kids?
Check out the Global Awareness website past contests page to see art submitted by au pairs from a variety of countries. The previous Flag Day Contest winners have some great art inspired by country flags and symbols.
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.
Online Art Fun – Here is a great website with lots of art activities including ones for older kids.
Webcams – You can do a google search for art websites with webcams. Here are a few to get you started:
Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about drawing and all kinds of art.
Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on famous artists and art.
Check YouTube for books on art being read aloud:
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.
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.
The establishment of learning goals in early childhood education is crucial to ensuring that host children develop the cognitive, social, and emotional skills they need for success. But how is this done? Are my host parents involved? Where do I start?
Goal setting helps you and your host parents stay on the same page regarding the children’s growth. By using SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—you can turn daily playtime into meaningful learning opportunities AND it offers you and your host parents another worthwhile way to connect.
1. Cognitive & Language Goals
Instead of just “playing,” focus on specific milestones that help the child’s brain develop.
Specific: Help the child recognize and name five colors during morning play.
Measurable: Identify at least three different shapes in a picture book twice a week.
Achievable: Practice the “ABC Song” together during bath time or car rides.
Relevant: Introduce three new vocabulary words related to the week’s theme (e.g., “garden,” “seed,” “flower”).
Time-bound: Aim for the child to master 10 new words by the end of the month.
2. Social-Emotional & Behavior Goals
Since you spend so much time in the home, you are the primary coach for the child’s social-emotional growth.
Specific: Practice “taking turns” with a favorite toy for 10 minutes daily.
Measurable: Use a sticker chart to track every time the child uses “please” and “thank you” without being reminded.
Achievable: Use role-play with dolls to practice expressing feelings like “I am sad” instead of crying.
Relevant: Help the child gain independence by teaching them to put their shoes on by themselves.
Time-bound: Observe a reduction in tantrums during transitions (like leaving the park) over a four-week period.
3. Motor Skills (Physical) Goals
Active play is a huge part of an au pair’s day. Use these goals to track physical milestones.
Specific: Practice using safety scissors to cut straight lines during craft time.
Measurable: Complete three “tracing” worksheets together per week to improve pencil grip.
Achievable: Practice jumping with both feet off the ground during outdoor play.
Relevant: Build hand-eye coordination by stacking a tower of 10 blocks.
Time-bound: Show improved coordination in “catching a ball” by the end of the summer.
How to Implement SMART Goals at Home
Observe: Spend the first week watching what the child finds easy and what they struggle with.
Collaborate: Share your observations with the parents. Ask, “Which of these areas should we focus on this month?”
Keep a Log: Use a simple notebook or a shared appto write down small “wins” or challenges you noticed during the day.
Be Flexible: Every child has “off” days. If a goal feels too hard, break it into even smaller steps.
Celebrate: When the child reaches a goal, celebrate! A high-five, an extra bedtime story, or a “Great job!” goes a long way.
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.
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.
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.
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.
https://youtu.be/NB_3gsUy6WE
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.
Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme will beCars & 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
If your kids are a little older, check out 10 Crazy Facts About Sea Turtles (below).
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.
