Category Archives: Arts & Crafts

Halloween Fun Ideas

Halloween is fast approaching! There are many ways that you can make this time fun and interesting for both you and the children you care for!

philip-james-flickrAu Pair in America has captured a wonderful array of projects you can work on together. You can find them on our Halloween Fun Pinterest board! Try making a collection of glowing pumpkins using jars from the host family’s recycling! You’ll need clean jars, liquid glue, orange tissue paper, some paint, black construction paper or cardstock and a strand of lights or battery operated tea lights.

mootsie

If you have a collection of plastic pumpkins for trick or treating, place them on a shelf or table and dress them up! baseball hats, party hats, tiaras, fire fighter hats, pirate hats and more will help you create a fun display! Dig through the dress up collection for some great options or make some of your own with craft supplies!

Check out the Pinterest board for some other great ideas like ghost bowling using toilet paper!  How about adding some fun to lunchboxes by slipping a Halloween joke in? Try making some glowing cups – Frankenstein, ghost and pumpkin! Try transforming some acorns into pumpkins using paint!

                                                                                                            Photos by Philip James and Mootsie

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Carving Pumpkins!

 

Here is a video explaining how to carve a pumpkin (as well as some non-carving alternatives.) If you get a pumpkin at a pumpkin patch, I don’t recommend carving it until the week of Halloween, so it will stay looking fresh for big day. Follow the tips towards the end of the video to extend the life of your pumpkin! The carving fun starts at the 1:27 mark!

Find more fun on the APIA Fall Holidays Pinterest board.

 

 

Activities for Toddlers!

Toddlers are a bundle of inquisitive energy! So much to explore! Lets look at some engaging activities, inside and out, that we can plan for our days together!!

How about some outdoor hopscotch? Grab some chalk and get creative!

ilya-haykinson-flickr

Practice cause and effect with this easy craft project. Bonus points – it travels well for entertaining small hands in waiting rooms, restaurants, etc.

Try playing with muffin tin sorting! Easy to find items in the home become useful tools of play as your and your child sort, place in, take out, etc.

Try your artistic hand at making a rainbow salt tray to explore! Completely reusable, this activity has long staying power!

Use recyclable water bottles and some miscellaneous items to create a Discovery Bottle.

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Try creating a rainbow sand box! This compact box is perfect for small spaces, indoors, etc. Just grab another shallow container with a lid, add in the colored rice after it dries and some digging and sifting equipment!  kidz-activities

Photo credits to – Ilya Haykinson – Flickr;  Emma Craig – Flickr;  Kidz Activities – Flickr

As with any activity, please use your own judgement about what your particular child can do or try.

Camp Au Pair – Summer Olympics!

The Olympics are in full swing!! We have put together some great ideas to correlate with the Summer Games! How about creating your own Olympic Rings Ball Toss  or Olympic pictographs? Learn about the culture of Rio or do an Olympic word search! Make a pom pom soccer field, a laurel wreath or your own gold medal! When it’s snack time, learn how to make grapes in a canoe, ring cupcakes or an edible Olympic torch! You can also learn how to chart the medals won by your country and the US! Whatever activities you chose to do, there will be lots of fun going on! Check out all of these ideas and more here!

Vincent Angler - Flickr

Photo by Vincent Angler – Flickr

Camp Au Pair – Pirate Adventures!

Ahoy! Save yourself from walking the plank of summertime boredom but checking out Au Pair in America’s summer fun theme PIRATES!

Find great books to grab from the library, make edible boats, or even a telescope! How about some coloring pages, playing Pirate Bingo or searching for buried treasure? Create a treasure map, have a Cannon Ball toss and create a Pirate name! Join us for some swashbuckling fun!

Leonid Mamchenkov

Photo by: Leonid Mamchenkov

Camp Au Pair – Science (STEM)

Challenge yourself this upcoming week with some fun and exciting experiments! Create a catapult or a lemon volcano! How about a exploring buoyancy or what melts in the sun? Learn how to make a cloud in a jar or try some gross experiments like growing mold! Turn pennies green, learn about the water cycle and try some seed science!! So many fun and exciting opportunities! Read more about them here!

Michele

Photo by Michele

Camp Au Pair – Castles, Princesses, Knights and Fire Breathing Dragons!

This week we are all about adventure! From magical castles and fire breathing dragons! Learn how to make princess paintings with your feet (really!) or a knight tunic with a pillowcase! How about a fire breathing dragon from a cardboard tube or a cardboard shield and sword or a magical wand with ribbons! Make a castle, fairy dough or even play bingo! When you are ready for a lunch break, you’ll find a simple recipe for a castle sandwich!!! You’ll find everything in our Pinterest boards!!

USAG Humphreys

Photo by USAG Humphreys

Camp Au Pair – Space!

Get ready to blast off as we explore outer space 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 or you to use to explore outer space from the comfort of your own home! Moon rocks are optional!

ageekmomPhoto: AGeekMom

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!

How about leaf bowls using air dry clay? Leaves transformed into a faces?  Create a birdfeeder or make a suncatcher? So many great ideas! Check them out on the Au Pair in America Pinterest boards here!

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Camp Au Pair – Bucket List and Under the Sea Fun

 

Summer has arrived! Time for Camp Au Pair!!

Let’s make a bucket list!

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Summer has arrived! Kids are home or will be in a few days! Time to get your plans written down and make the most out of your summer days with your host kids! Here’s a great way to make sure you have lots of fun, perhaps learn some new things, and make a bunch of memories together!

Start by creating a bucket list! Bucket lists are a great way to brainstorm a bunch of ideas and then make them happen! Check out some great bucket list ideas like this one or this cute  printable one!

Now for some under the sea fun!! 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!

How about paper bag jellyfish? Toilet paper rolls transformed into a school of fish? So many great ideas! Check them out on the Au air in America Pinterest boards here!

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