Tag Archives: october

Celebrate Halloween!

JWI_HalloweenOwlHalloween (or Hallow e’en) is a celebration observed in a number of countries including the United States on October 31st.  Halloween has a special significance for children, who dress in funny or ghostly costumes and knock on neighborhood doors shouting “Trick or Treat!” Pirates and princesses, ghosts and witches all hold bags open to catch the candy or other goodies that the neighbors drop in.

Since the 800’s, November 1st is a religious holiday known as All Saints’ Day. The Mass that was said on this day was called Allhallowmas. The evening before became known as All Hallow e’en, or Halloween. Like some other American celebrations, its origins lie in both pre-Christian and Christian customs.

The most popular Halloween activities include trick-or-treating attending Halloween costume parties, decorating, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

For more information and a “how-to” video on carving a pumpkin, click here.  Find more pumpkin carving ideas, scary snacks, and other fun Halloween activities on the APIA Halloween Fun Pinterest board.

Halloween can be a lot of fun but it is also a time when safety should come first. Here are some tips for Monday:

Adult supervision is essential. Always accompany the children if they are going door to door to trick or treat

Try tick-or-treat-friendly homes. Ensure the children only visit houses with lights on. And, you might also suggest the houses they visit have some sort of Halloween decoration on the porch.

Stay outside. Make sure the children don’t go inside someone’s house. They can trick or treat on the porch.

Remain visible. Dress the children in bright costumes or have them wear reflective strips or carry a glow stick or flashlight.

Quality-check treats. Check the candy before they eat it. Throw out any candy that is not in its original wrapper or looks like it has been tampered with.

Say “no” to strangers. Remind the children to never accept a ride or go anywhere with a stranger.  

Click here for more Halloween safety tips and a fun word game to help teach these tips to your host kids. 

Halloween Safety Tips

Going trick or treating? Check out these tips from the CDC to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters.

 Swords, knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.

 Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.

 Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.

 Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

 Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. WALK and don’t run from house to house.

 Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.

 Look both ways before crossing the street. Use crosswalks wherever possible.

 Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.

 Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.

 Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.

 Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

 Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Never accept rides from strangers.

 Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

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Download the CDC’s Halloween Safety Scramble to review these safety tips with your kids.

Columbus Day

Columbus Day is observed each year on the second Monday in October to remember Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. This year, Columbus Day is on Monday, October 8, 2017. 

For more information about Columbus Day, visit this link. For children’s activities, including arts and crafts, word searches, and puzzles, visit this link.

Honoring Christopher Columbus is not without controversy. In some parts of the US, Columbus Day remains important to Italian-Americans as a celebration of Italian heritage and is celebrated with parades and festivals. In other parts of the US, Columbus Day is not celebrated, and there are increasing calls to change the holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day.

Celebrate Halloween 2017!

JWI_HalloweenOwlHalloween (or Hallow e’en) is a celebration observed in a number of countries including the United States on October 31st.  Halloween has a special significance for children, who dress in funny or ghostly costumes and knock on neighborhood doors shouting “Trick or Treat!” Pirates and princesses, ghosts and witches all hold bags open to catch the candy or other goodies that the neighbors drop in.

Since the 800’s, November 1st is a religious holiday known as All Saints’ Day. The Mass that was said on this day was called Allhallowmas. The evening before became known as All Hallow e’en, or Halloween. Like some other American celebrations, its origins lie in both pre-Christian and Christian customs.

The most popular Halloween activities include trick-or-treating attending Halloween costume parties, decorating, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

For more information and a “how-to” video on carving a pumpkin, click here.  Find more pumpkin carving ideas, scary snacks, and other fun Halloween activities on the APIA Halloween Fun Pinterest board.

Halloween can be a lot of fun but it is also a time when safety should come first. Here are some tips for Monday:

Adult supervision is essential. Always accompany the children if they are going door to door to trick or treat

Try tick-or-treat-friendly homes. Ensure the children only visit houses with lights on. And, you might also suggest the houses they visit have some sort of Halloween decoration on the porch.

Stay outside. Make sure the children don’t go inside someone’s house. They can trick or treat on the porch.

Remain visible. Dress the children in bright costumes or have them wear reflective strips or carry a glow stick or flashlight.

Quality-check treats. Check the candy before they eat it. Throw out any candy that is not in its original wrapper or looks like it has been tampered with.

Say “no” to strangers. Remind the children to never accept a ride or go anywhere with a stranger.  

Click here for more Halloween safety tips and a fun word game to help teach these tips to your host kids. 

2017 Halloween Safety Tips

Going trick or treating? Check out these tips from the CDC to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters.

Swords, knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.

Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.

Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.

Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. WALK and don’t run from house to house.

Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.

Look both ways before crossing the street. Use crosswalks wherever possible.

Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.

Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.

Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.

Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Never accept rides from strangers.

Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

screen-shot-2016-10-25-at-1-51-57-pm

Download the CDC’s Halloween Safety Scramble to review these safety tips with your kids.

Autumn Cluster Meetings

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14440870_10210405440038208_2265447476451686682_n-1In September, our cluster joined hundreds of other APIA au pairs from all over DC, Maryland, and Virginia for a region-wide scavenger hunt. Au pairs were divided into teams and raced around the city to find the answers to as many questions as they could in the allotted time.

 

img_0366In October, we had a private tour of the Smithsonian building everyone in DC calls the Castle.

In November, we had a relaxing meeting with some calm “adult” coloring, talked about stress management, and then indulged in some sweet treats to celebrate all of our birthdays from the entire year.

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