Tag Archives: Kids

Preventing Dehydration in Hot Weather

drinking-fountain-water

Step 1
Encourage your child to drink plenty of water. On hot days, children should drink significantly more water than usual, as they are losing more due to the heat.

Step 2
Do not wait until your child is thirsty to give him water. By the time they feel thirsty, they are already becoming dehydrated.

Step 3
Have other liquids on hand for your child to drink throughout the day. Juices also help with hydration.

Step 4
Be alert to changes in behavior.  A child may act confused or more irritable when they are becoming dehydrated/overheated.  Get them into cooler temperatures and drinking more fluids.

Step 5
Dress your child in lightweight clothing in the summer months, particularly if she’ll be playing outdoors in warm weather. You may also consider clothes that are well ventilated as they do not trap heat close to the body.

Additional Safety Note: When there are heat and/or air quality advisories because the weather is dangerously hot, you should avoid taking the children outdoors. Check with your host parents for further guidance on this topic.

Free & $1 Summer Kid's Movies

When the kids are out of school for the summer, one place to cool off is at the movie theater. Below are three theaters in different parts of our cluster area that are offering $1 or free kid’s movies each week of the summer.

Tips to maximize your free movie enjoyment:

  • Movie admission is $1, but bring additional money for popcorn and/or drinks, if desired.
  • I suggest you arrive at least 15 minutes early to get a good place to sit.  Some of the movies can be very popular and fill up.
  • Have all the kids make a bathroom stop before going into the movie.
  • Do your homework and google the movie that’s playing in advance to make sure it will be a good one for your child/ren.
  • As with any outing, ask your host parents before taking the child/ren to the movies.
  • If you take the kids to the movie in Silver Spring, check out the fountain in Silver Plaza afterwards. Bring a towel and a dry change of clothes for the kids.  It’s hard to resist splashing in the fountain.

After the movie, do activities related to the movie:

  • Ask the children what were their favorite parts of the movie.
  • Find crafts related to the movie to complete with them.
  • Let the children act out parts of the movies.  Use household items as props and dress up in costumes to make it more fun.

BOWIE STADIUM 14

15200 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD, 301-262-9133

Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/11-6/12   The Three Stooges (PG), Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG)

6/18-6/19   Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (PG), Parental Guidance (PG)

6/25-6/26   Mr. Poppers’ Penguins (PG), Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G)

7/2-7/3       Monte Carlo (PG), Rio (G)

7/9-7/10     Coraline (PG), Paranorman (PG)

7/16-7/17   Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (PG), Big Miracle (PG)

7/23-7/24   Yogi Bear (PG), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (PG)

7/30-7/31   Racing Stripes (PG), Happy Feet Too (PG)

8/6-8/7       African Cats (PG), Chimpanzee (PG)


MAJESTIC STADIUM 20 & IMAX

900 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring MD, 301-565-8884

Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/18-6/19   The Three Stooges (PG), Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG)

6/25-6/26   Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (PG), Parental Guidance (PG)

7/2-7/3       Mr. Poppers’ Penguins (PG), Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G)

7/9-7/10     Monte Carlo (PG), Rio (G)

7/16-7/17   Coraline (PG), Paranorman (PG)

7/23-7/24   Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (PG), Big Miracle (PG)

7/30-7/31   Yogi Bear (PG), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (PG)

8/6-8/7       Racing Stripes (PG), Happy Feet Too (PG)

8/13-8/14   African Cats (PG), Chimpanzee (PG)


Annapolis Harbour 9 (FREE)

2474 Solomons Island Rd, Annapolis, MD, 410-224-1145

Doors open at 9 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/25-6/26   Puss in Boots (PG)

7/2-7/3       Megamind (PG)

7/9-7/10     Rise of the Guardians (PG)

7/16-7/17   Madagascar 3 (PG)

7/23-7/24   Adventures of Tintin (PG)

7/30-7/31 Hugo (PG)

8/6-8/7       How to Train Your Dragon (PG)

8/13-8/14   Rango (PG)

8/20-8/21   Kung Fu Panda 2 (PG)

Kids Bowl Free Summer Program

Click here to register

Click here to register

From the AMF website:

KIDS Bowl for Zip, Zero, Zilch!
This summer, your children 15 and under can bowl for free at your local AMF. Sound too good to be true? It’s not! Just register your children for two free games per child per day all summer long. Children love bowling; it’s fun, active, social and local and – best of all – it’s FREE! That’s how AMF does summer!
Free bowling is available until 8 pm daily. AMF Summer is going on now through September 2.
Note: Bowling shoe rentals are not included.

Camp Au Pair Week #7 – London Olympics

tissue_paper_olympic_ringsYou will find lots of fun ideas for games, crafts, printables, activities and recipes related to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on the Camp Au Pair in America – London Olympics pinboard.

Fun Fact: The Olympic symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions, used alone, in one or in five different colors, which are, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green and red. The Olympic symbol (the Olympic rings) expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.

Contest: First au pair in my cluster to tell me what is their favorite event in the Summer Olympic games will win a prize. Send your answer via Facebook or email.

Photo: easypreschoolcraft.blogspot

Create Your Own Summer Bucket List!

The term “bucket list” was popularized in the 2007 Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie. The idea is to make a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” (which is an idiom referring to death.) Even though that sounds kind of morbid, the idea has taken off as something much more positive and people create bucket lists to log the things they want to do at some point in their life.

With that said, a Summer Bucket list is a list of things to do before this summer ends.

Click here to print your own summer bucket list

Click here to print your own summer bucket list

Get lots of ideas to put on your list on our APIA Summer Fun Pinterest Board.

Free & $1 Summer Movies!

When the kids are out of school for the summer, one place to cool off is at the movie theater. Below are three theaters in different parts of our cluster area that are offering $1 or free kid’s movies each week of the summer.

popcorn

Tips to maximize your free movie enjoyment:

  • Movie admission is $1, but bring additional money for popcorn and/or drinks, if desired.
  • I suggest you arrive at least 15 minutes early to get a good place to sit.  Some of the movies can be very popular and fill up.
  • Have all the kids make a bathroom stop before going into the movie.
  • Do your homework and google the movie that’s playing in advance to make sure it will be a good one for your child/ren.
  • As with any outing, ask your host parents before taking the child/ren to the movies.
  • If you take the kids to the movie in Silver Spring, check out the fountain in Silver Plaza afterwards. Bring a towel and a dry change of clothes for the kids.  It’s hard to resist splashing in the fountain.

    • After the movie, do activities related to the movie:

  • Ask the children what were their favorite parts of the movie.
  • Find crafts related to the movie to complete with them.
  • Let the children act out parts of the movies.  Use household items as props and dress up in costumes to make it more fun.

    • BOWIE STADIUM 14

    15200 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD, 301-262-9133

    Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

    6/12-6/13 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
    6/19-6/20 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
    6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
    7/3-7/4 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
    7/10-7/11 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
    7/17-7/18 – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
    7/24-7/25 – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
    7/31-8/1 – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
    8/7-8/8 – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS

    MAJESTIC STADIUM 20 & IMAX

    900 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring MD, 301-565-8884

    Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

    6/19-6/20 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
    6/26-6/27 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
    7/3-7/4  – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
    7/10-7/11  – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
    7/17-7/18 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
    7/24-7/25  – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
    7/31-8/1  – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
    8/7-8/8  – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
    8/14-8/15  – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS

    Annapolis Harbour 9 (FREE)

    2474 Solomons Island Rd, Annapolis, MD, 410-224-1145

    Doors open at 9 am, Movie starts at 10 am

    6/19-6/20 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE
    6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS
    7/3-7/4  –  YOGI BEAR
    7/10-7/11  – HAPPY FEET TWO
    7/17-7/18 – JOURNEY 2
    7/24-7/25  – DOLPHIN TALE
    7/31-8/1  – SHORTS
    8/7-8/8  – INKHEART
    8/14-8/15  – HAPPY FEET