Valentine’s Day (February 14) 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.
Are you looking for Valentine’s day activity and craft ideas?
Look no further… Au Pair in America has a Pinterest pinboard devoted to Valentine’s Day:
Photo: Clever Cupcakes (Flickr)
Looking for ideas to keep the kids busy on a snow day (when they are home from school for winter weather?)
Here is a simple snow day game plan…
Stay warm & have fun!
Photo: Tony Crider (Flickr)
My kids are looking forward to the upcoming blizzard for many reasons, one of which is snow ice cream. I only make it when we have a lot of snow, because you want to collect fresh clean snow and it needs to be deep enough that you are just getting snow. Ask your host parents before you try it. I don’t want anyone freaking out.
Here are two recipes I use to make it, depending on what kind of milk I have on hand.
Yes, this is actual snow ice cream that I made using recipe #1!
Snow Ice Cream Recipe #1 (my favorite)
8 cups of fresh clean snow
1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Combine in a large bowl and enjoy.
Snow Ice Cream Recipe #2
8 cups of fresh clean snow
1/2 cup of evaporated milk (or regular milk)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine milk, sugar and vanilla extract until sugar is dissolved. Then combine with snow. Enjoy.
Is it risky to do winter sports without the sports insurance?
Yes. If you have to pay your own hospital bills for a broken bone, you might be shocked at how much that would cost. I checked this website for some cost estimates.
Here are a couple examples:
I wanted to make sure everyone understands how the medical coverage works for sports related injuries. There is a list of “high-risk sports/activities” that are not covered with the basic or upgrade medical insurance plans. Those activities are only covered with the Sports Insurance Package (also known as Option A.)
The Sports Insurance Package was available pre-departure and may also be purchased at any time during your year. It takes effect within 48 hours of your enrollment and it is good for 12 months. The cost will be the same ($85) whether you have a month left or your whole year ahead of you. I recommend you pay for it early on, if you didn’t already purchase it. You never know when an opportunity might present itself and you don’t want to miss out on an adventure. You also don’t want to take a risk on getting injured and being responsible for the bill on your own.
Below is a partial list of sports that are only covered with the sports insurance package:
Football, Rugby, Scuba diving, Ski-doo, Wakeboarding, Skydiving, Parachuting, Rock climbing, Zip line, Skate boarding, Rollerblading, Roller skating, Ice Skating, Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowmobiles & Snowshoeing. View the full list on page 3 of the insurance brochure HERE(2015 arrival au pairs) & HERE for (2016 arrival au pairs)
Note: Injuries sustained while partaking in these sports are covered with purchase of the Sports Insurance ONLY.
How to register for the Sports Insurance
Contact Lisa or Christine to get a copy of the Sports Insurance Enrollment Form. It takes a few days for your coverage to begin. If you think you will be doing any of these sports, you should get it now.
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 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 things you approve of.)
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:
Here are a few easy ideas to start with. Look for more on the internet and the library. Google “activities school age kids” or “activities tweens”
-Cooking
-Making things (check craft stores like Michael’s for kits and models that are age appropriate)
-Going fun places (check the Cluster Google Map for all kinds of great places in the local area including pottery making, jewelry making, farms, museums and more)
-Sports (soccer, tennis, swimming, bicycling, roller skating, ice skating, and more)
-Visit places in the area like the library, museums and attractions in DC, mini-golf and go-karts
-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 your host children are in scouts, find out if there are things that they need to complete that you can work on with them. Even if they are not in scouts, I suggest you check your local library for Cub Scout Handbooks (Tiger, Wolf, Bear & Webelos.) They are full of activities appropriate for boys (and girls) from age 7-11.
-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.
