Tag Archives: activities

Connecting with the World Around You – Virtually

Connecting with the World Around You – Virtually!

Maybe this isn’t the year you thought it would be in the United States, but you can still explore areas of interest, new ideas and expand you mind from a safe location.  Below are some great ideas – many of them “tried and true” that can get your brain moving, provide opportunities to learn about U.S. culture, and maybe even inspire you!

Volunteer!

  • OnlineVolunteering.org – United Nations Volunteers; all online; opportunities include translation, art & design, writing & editing, teaching, research, advocacy, and more.
  • TranslatorsWithoutBorders.org – provide translations
  • Smithsonian Digital Volunteers – si.edu/volunteer/DigitalVolunteers – online volunteer opportunities include transcription and correcting / updating Wikipaedia entries
  • Zooniverse.org – some very cool research projects you can do online; check out the language projects!
  • ReadingPartners.org – once accepted to the program, serve as reading support for a child
  • VolunteerMatch.com – search for posted volunteer opportunities

Free Classes of Interest

  • VarsityTutors.com
  • EDx.org
  • Coursera.org
  • FutureLearn.com

 

View Online 

No free trials, just download the app and watch something new! All clips or short content in a wide variety of topics.  Totally FREE!

  • Smithsonian (app)
  • History Channel (app)
  • PBS SoCal: (public television for all https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/
  • FreeCableTV (app) – Full television shows, including news

Virtual Tourism

  • TripAdvisor.com United States Virtual Tour https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-c55689/United-States:Virtual.Tour.html
  • GlassTire.com – 5 minute tours of art museums in Texas
  • VirtualYosemite.org – interactive virtual tourism at one of our greatest National Parks
  • VirtualVisitTours.com – 360o views of Ireland’s vacation destinations
  • BBC.co.uk – aerial views of Scotland
  • GoogleArts&Culture (App) art and commentary at museums all over the world

Go for a Drive or a Hike – IRL

  • CaliforniaThroughMyLens.com
  • DiscoverTheForest.org

 

Big Kids Need Interaction Too

Just because a child is old enough to occupy themselves, doesn’t mean that they should be expected to do so the majority of the time.  Host families have a certain expectation of activity and involvement for their children. Get the kids engaged and active. You can be more fun than the TV or a video game.

 

Problem:
But, my kids don’t want to do anything but watch TV or play video games.

Solution:
Instead of saying,  “Would you like to (fill in the blank with any activity)?  The answer will often be, “No.”

Try this, “Now we are going to (fill in the blank with any activity.) or “Would you rather do  _____ or ______?”  Make sure both the choices are good options.
Your chances of co-operation are greatly increased. Even kids who are reluctant to try new things will usually get in the spirit of things and have fun, if you pick a good activity.

Problem:
I don’t know what to do with school age kids.

Solution:
Look for ideas online. Google “activities school age kids” or “activities tweens”. Below is a list of some ideas to get you started.

  • Cooking
  • Making things (check craft stores like Michael’s for kits and models that are age appropriate)
  • Going fun places (pottery painting, jewelry making, farms, museums, mini-golf, go-karts)
  • Sports (soccer, tennis, swimming, bicycling, roller skating, ice skating)
  • Let them teach you to do something they enjoy. Kids this age love being the expert.
  • Get outdoors and visit local parks.  You can even make a project of reviewing all the local parks (what kind of equipment they have, is there shade, water fountain?)  They can write this up and keep, so they remember which ones they want to go to again and which ones to skip in the future.
  • Let them help you search and plan some activities.
  • Check on the APIA Pinterest page and here on our cluster blog for ideas.
  • If you have a GPS, try taking them geocaching. Here is a website with all the details.

Note: Always get permission from your host parents before taking the kids places.

Photo: Killian77

Volunteer for the Santa Monica Classic

Copyright © 2018 Conqur Endurance Group, All rights reserved.

The Santa Monica Classic 5K, 10K, and Kids Run are just around the corner, coming to the beautiful Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, September 9th! Be a part of this unique, sellout race that kicks off the Conqur LA Challenge.

Volunteers are needed for the following days:
– Saturday, September 8, 2018 – Pre-Race Packet Pickup (Reed Park)
– Sunday, September 9, 2018 – RACE DAY @ the Start Line, Finish Line, and Water Stations

Au Pair In America Volunteers will be handing out water at one of the mile markers.  Typically, volunteers are given a hat and/or a shirt or some other sort of nice “swag.” The LA Marathon was reported by APIA Volunteers to be an Amazing event.

Get more info

Sign up to Volunteer with the APIA group! (select water station stop at the top of the page)

 

Things to do

I love my son, but sometimes he drives me totally nuts!  This past long weekend is a perfect example.  All he wanted to do, it seemed, was lay on the sofa in his pajamas and watch TV.  I couldn’t even get him to play legos with me, a pastime we often enjoy together.

Finally, as I was cleaning up, I spied a board game that we had recently purchased but hadn’t played yet.  I waited until his TV show was ending and suggested we play the game.  Surprisingly, he jumped at the chance!

While we were playing it occurred to me that I hadn’t been reading the Mom Websites much lately.  Then I realized that I had been waiting for my son to come up with ideas on what to do, rather than telling him what our plans are.  He’s not a very creative kid, so asking him to come up with ideas on his own doesn’t usually work.  I discovered long ago that I have to give him options to choose from.

Had I planned ahead, this lazy weekend could have been avoided.  We could have been out in the community having fun and learning new things.  But I forgot to plan something.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, you might appreciate the attached listing of Things To Do Locally.  The first section is how to find things to do in the area with children, and the rest will help you find out more about what is going on in your community so you can explore on your own.

things to do locally

A little bit of planning ahead, and offering two or three options to the kids to have input on can make a huge difference!  And to be clear, the options offered should never be: “Do you want to go to this event with me?,” but rather: “When we go out this afternoon, do you want to go to Event A or Event B?”

So, when you have time, explore the Mom Websites listed and sign up for some newsletters.  The site will email you when something cool is happening in your area.