Tag Archives: Summer fun

Camp Au Pair – Kids in the Kitchen

Camp Au Pair is in the kitchen this week! Feeling creative? Try making these adorable palm tree snack plates!

 

Field trips!

  • Make a plan of food creativity! Check out your pantry and fridge first, then plan a trip to the grocery store to get needed items. Have your host kids help prepare the list. Think about the layout of the store, make your list so you can walk around and easily find things.
  • Perhaps part of your food experience week is going out to a local eatery and trying something new or sharing food from your home country.
  • Krispy Kreme has their stores set up so you can watch the donuts being made! Watch

    thedonuts being made, wear a fun Krispy Kreme hat and then eat a fresh, hot donut! Call ahead to get an idea of what time is best. You can even sign yourself up for their rewards program and get a free donut!

  • Visit a local farm or farmer’s market.
  • Check out the Food Network’s kids cooking and baking shows.

Who says you can’t play with your food! Have fun in the kitchen with your host kids!

Photo: Melissa {flickr}, Brewbook {flickr}

 

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? Leaf painting mandala?  Create a birdfeeder or make a suncatcher?

How about creating a twig raft? Creating Nature Journals? Maybe a pocket sized nature collection?

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

Check out your library (or Amazon) for great books about the outdoors! Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail.  How about, My First Book About Backyard Nature: Ecology for Kids!

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

Consider joining in the Free Forest School outings 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.

Photo by Cynthia Chan

 

Camp Au Pair – Let’s Go Outside!

Summer is winding down, but we still have two more weeks!! Let’s get our creative hats on! This week we have a variety of creative outdoor activities!

How about some awesome chalk art ideas? Summer activities with ice to help us cool off! Make soap boats and then race them! Check out even more fun ice activities to try!

How about some I Spy free printables? Chalk ideas to keep your host kids active! Check out the squirt gun racing! Learn how to make sponge water balls!

Create an ice block treasure hunt for lasting, cool fun!  Make sidewalk chalk paint and help your little Picasso’s shine!

Make homemade mud playdough for creative play! Learn some new handclapping songs!  How about a nature scavenger hunt?  Check out this amazing list of 100 things to do this summer for more amazing ideas!

Photo credit: Chalk art – Walter {Flickr}

Camp Au Pair – Bugs & Butterflies!

Get ready to get buggy as we explore bugs and butterflies this week! Ready for some serious fun? How about creating a butterfly suncatcher, explore a bit of science and make glasses of dancing worms or creating a toe caterpillar on a leaf rubbing? Try creating a butterfly themed  snack.  

How about playing some bug bingo? 

Create a sensory bug bin to investigate!

Read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and create a whimsical lunch plate!

Check out the Au Pair in America Pinterest site for more great ideas!

Photo: Nick Goodrum {flickr}

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!”

Using a favorite cookie, create Phases of the Moon! 

Try making space shuttles out of cardboard tubes and other supplies!

Print out some space mazes to practice critical thinking and fine motor skills!

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!

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? Leaf painting mandala?  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 – 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 – 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

Summer Fun – Keeping the Kids Creating and Exploring!

Looking for some cool things to do this week with the kids? Consider some of these awesome ideas on the Au Pair In America Pinterest boards!

Ice Block Treasure Hunt 

Create a block of ice full of treasures! Plan ahead for this activity. Place the block in the sun when ready and watch the treasures “appear” as the block thaws in the sunshine! Help it along with some crab mallets!

Solar S’Mores

Try making your own solar cooker with foil and an empty pizza box. Grab your supplies, create the solar cooker and assemble the S’more supplies! Discuss what may happen, estimate how long it may take to melt the chocolate, etc.

Bubble Fun!

Grab some bubble making supplies and try these ideas! Laughter is guaranteed!

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Photo by Juan Felipe Gomez