Flag Ponds Nature Park Archives - Au Pairs in Southern Maryland

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 –

Make your own dinosaur feet!
Paper plate dinosaurs
Jump & wash sensory play
Dinosaur gross motor movement game
Make dinosaur fossils
Create dinosaurs out of playdough.
Have fun coloring dinosaurs with these coloring pages!
Create fizzy dinosaur eggs.
Try making dinosaur skeletons out of clay and pasta shapes.
Hungry? Make a snack or meal out of these great dinosaur themed food ideas!
A dinosaur themed word search is a fun activity!

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 as a family unit to determine what activities your family is comfortable with given COVID19.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The museum remains closed, but there are some great virtual options. VIRTUAL TOUR
Maryland Science Center in Baltimore. Reopening information. Admission.
Smithsonian National Zoo has Dino Summer going on through Sept. 2. Reopening info here.
Calvert Cliffs State Park & Flag Ponds Nature Park both offer a chance for kids to search for fossils and shark teeth. Open only to Calvert County residents at last check. Admission.
Calvert Marine Museum has a Paleontology Exhibit where you can learn about fossils and watch a paleontologist at work. Must make a reservation. Info on reopening. Admission.

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}

World Oceans Day, June 8^th, was the United Nations-recognized day of ocean celebration and action. This summer, people all over the world are celebrating under the theme of Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet. Organizations and individuals are promoting prevention of plastic ocean pollution with events in their communities, special announcements, and everything in between! As a part of this special program, au pairs from APIA have participated in several activities over the summer to bring awareness and work together to preserve our oceans.

Au pairs from Southern Maryland planned a day at the Flag Ponds Nature Park. Together, we hiked to the Chesapeake Bay, picking up trash along the trail and along the shore line, participated in fossil hunting and enjoyed a picnic! Many treasures were found, including a very big sharks tooth found by Alisa from Germany!