Looking for some fun ideas for Easter celebrations and spring break activities? Check out the Au Pair in America Pinterest board for lots of great ideas!
Bake and decorate chick cupcakes
Make a foosball game out of a shoebox
Go on a scavenger hunt at the park
Photo by Michael
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th! For some creative and fun ideas to celebrate with the host kids, check out the APIA Pinterest Board – St. Patrick’s Day!
You could –
Photo by Motiqua
UPCOMING MUSEUMS & DATES 2016
Air & Space Museum – photo by Stephane Gallay
(Museum classes are from 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM, with the exception of the American Art Gallery & the National Portrait Gallery classes which are from 11:30 AM-4:30 PM.)
Valentine’s day is celebrated in the United States every year on February 14th. There are many stories and legends behind who the real St. Valentine was, but most scholars agree that he was a martyr who was killed by Roman soldiers because he was marrying people in secret at a time when marriage was outlawed. Later in the Middle Ages, a great writer named Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem as a present to King Richard II, who was going to be married soon. In it, he mentioned St. Valentine, and over time, the idea of Valentine’s Day became associated with the idea of love.
During the Victorian times (in the 1800s), Valentine’s Day became extremely popular! Men and women spent a lot of time making beautiful Valentine’s cards with ribbon, fancy paper and even lace. In those days, people were very reserved and they did not often say what they were feeling. Valentine’s day gave them a way to express their feelings to someone they were in love with anonymously. The sender would remain a mystery until they could speak more freely.
In the last few decades, Valentine’s day has changed a lot! Today we still exchange cards, but many people buy ready-made cards instead. We also give flowers or chocolates as a gift to remind people of our friendship and love for them. Most Valentine’s gifts and cards make use of the colors red and pink, and are decorated with images of hearts or roses. Another common symbol of love on this day is Cupid, the Roman god of love. He is usually shown as a little angel with a bow and arrow. According to legend, anyone who is struck by his arrows will fall in love.
Here are some links with ideas about how you can celebrate and have fun with the children you care for over the next few days!
Click here for Valentine’s Day Cards, coloring pages, recipes, crafts, games and puzzles.
Check out our Au Pair in America Pinterest page for Valentine’s Day for more ideas.
Photo by Aine
Drum roll please… we are delighted to share the winners of the 2015 APIA Au Pair of the Year Award with you all! Congratulations to our winners – Mathilda from Sweden, Brighit from Peru and Janine from Germany – and all the other nominees! Over 100 au pairs were nominated by their host families, which is amazing!! Enjoy reading their stories…we are so proud of them and of all our au pairs who truly make the most of the Au Pair in America experience!
As we prepare to endure a couple more snow days this week, a few reminders!
*If you have school aged kids who will be home due to school closures, this will change your au pairs work hours. Host parents and au pairs should work together to adjust the schedule as needed to stay within the regulations from the Dept. of State.
*Remember, no more than 10 hours per day and no more than 45 hours per work week. Host parents should be cognizant of this and if you are home too, look at having the au pair start late or end early. You can also choose a middle of the day break, but remember, a meaningful break is three hours minimum. The key here is to be flexible and prepared! Always have a back up plan!
*Remember that days on end in the house due to the weather and now more days can be draining. Be empathetic and offer encouragement and ideas. When the roads are safe in your area, suggest she get out for a couple of hours while off duty. This will offer her a chance to have a break and recharge. As parents, we all know the need for that.
*Check out our Pinterest boards for some great ideas on beating the winter blues! Do you want to build a snowman (inside where it’s warm)? Check out the Olaf activity. How about “painting” snow? We can show you how! Make sure you bundle up when heading outside. Don’t forget hot chocolate or tea when you come back in! For some fun ideas, check out the –
52 weeks… 365 days… 8760 hours… 525,600 minutes…
A year in the US, full of new and interesting experiences, this is what every au pair dreams of. Live with an American family, learn American culture and customs, experience American life, be a big sister to the host kids, improve their English. So many things you want to see and do, only 52 weeks to accomplish it!
It’s important to make your lists of adventures you want to have, from the simple to the amazing! Everyone has wishes and desires – make your lists so you don’t miss out on experiences! Our cluster meeting yesterday was a great time to talk with my au pairs about the things they want to see and do while they are in the US. In many cases, they have already checked off items from their lists.
A deck of cards has 52 cards, the same number of weeks an au pair has in the US. I shuffled my deck of cards and dealt each au pair a few cards. As they went around the tables sharing what their cards said, it was fun to see the excitement of a coveted card like Travel to California or Carve a Pumpkin. Hearing these young women relate stories of experiences they had already had to the newer arrivals, offering tips and encouragement, to hear the plans for trips to Florida this spring, so wonderful!
We laughed and even cringed a bit while several au pairs discussed trying rootbeer floats, or shared their excitement at seeing a football or baseball game! We agreed that trips to Chicago or Las Vegas or Hollywood would all be awesome. Dressing up for Halloween was another must do experience! The ideas just kept flowing. I am excited to see where their journeys take them!
Each month, Au Pair in America provides a calendar full of helpful information and fun activities for everyone in the family. Here you can find all kinds of ideas for activities, discussions, and historic information! You might also want to check out these ideas from the Au Pair in America Pinterest boards!
Do you want to build a snowman?
National Harbor is home to amazing shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities! Their Winter Wonderland events will draw crowds from near and far! You’ll want to take the time to stop and check it out if you are nearby! Upcoming events include – the Holiday Market, the Ugly Sweater Run, movie showings of classics such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Frosty the Snowman, and so much more.
Photo by F Delventhal
This time of year, many au pairs ask about what to do for the holidays for their host family! Holiday gifts do not need to be expensive to be appreciated. A handmade gift, especially if the children help you, can mean more than something purchased in a store. Check these links to find inspiration for gift giving!
Gift ideas for host parents from au pairs:
Gift ideas for au pairs from host families:
