Monthly Archives: July 2023

Camp Au Pair – Global Awareness

Let’s focus on global awareness and share some cultural experiences! Most importantly, share your culture with your host family. Incorporate games, books, songs, language, foods, etc, into your host family’s lives. Cooking a dish from your family is a great way to share. Discuss similar traditions and ones unique to your family or culture.

Resources:

  • Use the APIA Global Awareness website for an amazing collection of resources!
  • Learn about various countries by visiting the APIA Culture Corner!
  • Listen to a story in English or Spanish (preschool and lower elementary level)
  • Think outside the box about how to still give informative glimpses of our various cultures! How about creating a display that we can capture clear pictures of? Making a short video? Possibilities abound!

Let’s Create & Learn:  

Check out:

 

Books:

  • This Is How I Do It: One Day in the Life… This fun and engaging workbook will get kids writing, drawing, and sharing while also learning about cultures and countries other than their own.
    • Includes drawing activities, postcards, sticker sheets, and a fold-out map
    • A die-cut cover for kids to draw their portrait and write their name on makes this activity book a keepsake to treasure
    • Encourages self-reflection while also teaching kids about different traditions and customs.
  • What We Wear.  A celebration of clothing in bright, beautiful photographs of exuberant and diverse children from around the world, WHAT WE WEAR: DRESSING UP AROUND THE WORLD inspires young readers to explore the way clothing makes them feel and how it tells the world who they are. What we wear can identify who we are: what team we play for or what team we root for, where we go to school, how we worship, or how we represent our heritage. What we wear expresses our individuality, and clothes can make us happy, confident, and proud.
  • The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World. Take a world tour through  200 countries with this brand new edition of the bestselling kids’ version of Lonely Planet’s popular The Travel Book, loaded with thousands of amazing facts on wildlife, how people live, sports, hideous and mouthwatering food, festivals and a wide range of other quirky insights on every page. Every single country gets its own dedicated page, and a mix of photography and beautiful illustrations brings each land to life.

Photo by {Rona Proudfoot}; hiritomo t {flickr}

Camp Au Pair – Dinosaurs

This week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Dinosaurs.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to dinosaurs can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Dinosaurs pinboard.

Consider these awesome activities –

Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Here are a few places to go, that fit this theme. Remember to discuss any outings with your host parents to determine what activities your family is comfortable with.

Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about dinosaurs. Dinosaurs for Kids is a great video that explains dinosaur history and what paleontologists do.

The Good Dinosaur, Land Before Time and Ice Age are all great family movies that fit with this theme. For older kids, consider movies like Journey to the Center of the Earth and Jurassic Park (which is rated PG-13).

Books –

Photo: aaron parecki {flickr}; David Kryzaniak {flickr}

Camp Au Pair – Outer Space & Flight

Get ready to blast off as we explore outer space and flight this week! Ready for some serious fun? How about creating the phases of the moon with Oreo’s, exploring solar system mazes or building a space shuttle with recyclables? Try creating outer space themed lunches and snacks, flashlight constellations and answering the questions on “If I Could Be An Astronaut!”

Our Pinterest board is FULL of great ideas for you to use to explore outer space from the comfort of your own home! Moon rocks are optional!

Focus on History: They taught the world to fly!

Wind, sand, and a dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where, after four years of scientific experimentation, they achieved the first successful airplane flights on December 17, 1903. With courage and perseverance, these self-taught engineers relied on teamwork and application of the scientific process. What they achieved changed our world forever. Click on the link above for many wonderful activities for kids!

Bessie Coleman, soared across the sky as the first African American, and the first Native American woman pilot. Known for performing flying tricks, Coleman’s nicknames were; “Brave Bessie,” “Queen Bess,” and “The Only Race Aviatrix in the World.” Her goal was to encourage women and African Americans to reach their dreams. Unfortunately, her career ended with a tragic plane crash, but her life continues to inspire people around the world. Click on her name to learn more about this amazing woman.

Resources:

Virtual Field Trip Options:

Webcams – You can do a google search for websites with webcams which 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. Solar System 101 is good for school aged kids. The Planet Song is for toddlers and preschoolers. WALL-E, Zathura, Monsters vs. Aliens & Star Wars are all great family movies that fit with this theme. For older kids, movies like Hidden Figures and the Martian too, both are rated PG-13.

Books –

Amazon has a great list of books on outer space and astronomy.

Photo: AGeekMom; Photo.Resource.Org; Charles Edward Miller

Camp Au Pair – Nature Exploration

Now for some fun in nature!!! Get out and explore a bit, collect some treasures along the way! Most of these activities are easily created using items likely already around the house, but you may need to plan ahead a bit to have supplies on hand! Check with your host family about getting supplies to use!

So many great ideas! Check them out on the Au Pair in America Pinterest boards here!

Let’s Learn About:

  • The Baltimore Oriole. From their brief taxonomic hiatus to their intense sugar cravings, there’s a lot to know about these brilliant birds.
  • Make hummingbird nectar. Hummingbirds may be some of the smallest birds in the world,  but fluttering those tiny wings can be quite a workout. Flapping away at up to 90 beats per second burns up calories fast; to maintain their momentum, hummingbirds need to eat—a lot! To satisfy their speedy metabolisms, these busy birds consume half their body weight in bugs and nectar, feeding every 10-15 minutes and visiting 1,000-2,000 flowers per day.
  • Illustrator Johanna Basford teaches us how to draw simple birds.

Focus on History:

Rachel Carson, was a writer, scientist, and ecologist. She had a a life-long love of nature and the living world that Rachel expressed first as a writer and later as a student of marine biology.

Field Trips:

Annmarie Gardens Insectival is happening on July 22! Come experience all kinds of insect fun! Insect costumes! Learn about pollinators and arachnids! Check out the Misty Meadows Sprinkler Zone! Lots of insect fun and games! Buy tickets now!

Check out Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center. They have a wonderful Fairy Lolly to play in and trails to walk along. This summer, they are hosting an Enchanted Summer at the Garden. Admission is charged.

Historic St. Mary’s City walking trails are open year round.  While the living history portion of the center is by admission, hikers can travel a rustic 3.2 mile path through 700 acres of natural areas without tickets. This trail travels through woods and fields at water’s edge along Milburn Creek and the St. Mary’s River. This hike offers numerous opportunities to discover the native flora and fauna of the tidewater region.

Virtual Field Trip Options:

The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma: Escape the confines of your home and take a virtual  field trip through Oklahoma’s vast wilderness by clicking through several 360-degree views of the Conservancy’s various preserves. You can also click on features of the landscapes to learn more about the unique prairie ecosystem.

Yellowstone National Park: Experience the main attractions of Yellowstone National Park from the comfort of your home! Feast your eyes on famous sights such as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs and Mud Volcano. Old Faithful geyser is not to be missed.

Virtual dives:

You won’t need scuba gear to feel like you’re underwater with these stunning high-res 360-degree views of national marine sanctuaries like the Florida Keys, Monterey Bay and the Olympic Coast. You can even pair your device with a virtual reality headset for the ultimate immersive experience.

Webcams:

National Audubon Society Webcams: Explore a variety of webcam options, from Africa, farms, bears, puffins, wolves, honeybees, and even the Aurora Borealis.

Videos: Check out the cool videos at Bob’s Pennsylvania Wildlife Camera 

Resources:

Consider joining in the Free Forest School near you! Free Forest School ignites children’s innate capacity to learn through unstructured play in nature, fostering healthy development & nurturing the next generation of creative thinkers, collaborative leaders & environmental stewards.

Books:

Check out your library (or Amazon) for great books about the outdoors!

  • Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail.
  • My First Book About Backyard Nature: Ecology for Kids!
  • Hiking Day, by Anne Rockwell. A little girl and her family go hiking up a nearby mountain for the very first time. As they climb up and up the path, they see everything from a friendly toad to a prickly porcupine, tall leafy trees to tiny red berries.
  • Gator, gator, gator, by Daniel Bernstrom. A fearless little girl takes off in search of a giant gator–but she’s not going into that swamp alone! No way! She wants YOU, the reader, to come along. Off you go, peering through the lush landscapes, looking for that gator! But each time you think you see it? Oops! Just a fox. Or some ducks! Or a snake. Maybe you’ll never find the gator, gator, gator…

Photos by: Virginia State Parks {flickr}, rain0975 {flickr}, Nick Goodrum {flickr}, Fred Schroeder {flickr}, Cynthia Chan