Tag Archives: fun

Camp Au Pair – Bugs & Butterflies

This week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Bugs & Butterflies.

More than 100 crafts, recipes, and activities related to all kinds of bugs, insects, butterflies, and spiders can be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Bugs & Butterflies pinboard.

Outdoors – Kids today do not spend enough time outdoors. Take the kids in the backyard or another nature area (approved by your host parents) and do some activities related to this theme:

  • Allow them to search for bugs and butterflies.
  • Observe lightning bugs (also known as fireflies) in the evening. Here is a map showing what people call these little guys in different parts of the country.
  • After it rains, look for earthworms. Not bugs or butterflies, but very interesting creatures you can find in your own backyard.

NOTE: If you are outdoors with the children, be sure to check for ticks when you come back inside. Here is a blog post explaining the health risk ticks can pose and how to find and remove them safely.

Videos – You can find many great videos of butterflies and insects on YouTube. Check out these videos for kids about bees and ants. All about Insects covers lots of tiny creatures who crawl and fly. Here are a few videos to get you started.

Movies – A Bugs Life, The Bee Movie, Maya the Bee, and The Ant Bully all fit this theme.

Webcams – You can do a Google search for websites with webcams that allow you to observe bugs.

Books – Make a trip to the library and/or check your kids’ bookshelf for books on bugs and butterflies. You may find some classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. You can also find books being read aloud on YouTube videos like this one.

Image: minieco.co.uk

Camp Au Pair: Backyard Safari

This week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Backyard Safari.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Backyard Safari pinboard. 

Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences.

  • Local Zoo

Webcams – You can do a google search for websites with webcams that allow you to observe nature.

Videos – Look for fun videos about African animals on YouTube.

Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on animals you might find on a safari or in the zoo. You can also check YouTube for some books on this subject being read aloud.

Image: Jumble Tree

Make Plans for Summer Fun with the Kids!

When the kids are out of school on summer break there are soooo many possibilities. But, if you don’t make plans, you will often end up in the house with bored kids getting into trouble and arguing with their siblings.  Make plans!

Having lots of ideas ready can minimize those problems.

Looking for fun activity ideas to get the summer started off right with your host kids?

The Au Pair in America Summer Fun Pinboard is a great place to start. Together, create a Summer Bucket List. Talk with the kids about things they would like to see and do. Even toddlers and preschoolers can contribute to the conversation. Run these plans by your host parents and clear things like how much you may spend and when is best to do some of these activities.

Check back here next week for information on Camp Au Pair in America: a weekly blog series with themes for a summer break filled with fun and new adventures.

Photo: MissMessie (Flickr)

Camp Au Pair – Art Experiences

This week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Art Experiences.

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

Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings and be sure to take all social distancing precautions. Some museums are requiring advanced tickets or have reduced hours due to the pandemic.

  • Art Museums
  • Paint Your Own Pottery Studio
  • Clay and Ceramics Studio

Online Art Fun – Here is a great website with lots of art activities including ones for older kids.

Webcams – You can do a google search for art websites with webcams. Here are a few to get you started:

Pottery & Ceramics webcam
Glass Blowing webcam

Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about drawing and all kinds of art.

Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on famous artists and art.

Check YouTube for books on art being read aloud:

https://youtu.be/PA_yQPDV43w

Image: teachkidsart.com

Camp Au Pair – Bugs & Butterflies

This week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Bugs & Butterflies.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to all kinds of bugs, insects, butterflies, and spiders can be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Bugs & Butterflies pinboard.

Outdoors – Kids today do not spend enough time outdoors. Take the kids in the backyard or another nature area (approved by your host parents) and do some activities related to this theme:

  • Allow them to search for bugs and butterflies.
  • Observe lightning bugs (also known as fireflies) in the evening. Here is a map showing what people call these little guys in different parts of the country.
  • After it rains, look for earthworms. Not bugs or butterflies, but very interesting creatures you can find in your own backyard.

NOTE: If you are outdoors with the children, be sure to check for ticks when you come back inside. Here is a blog post explaining the health risk ticks can pose and how to find and remove them safely.

Videos – You can find many great videos of butterflies and insects on YouTube. Check out these videos for kids about bees and ants. All about Insects covers lots of tiny creatures who crawl and fly. Here are a few videos to get you started.

Movies – A Bugs Life, The Bee Movie, Maya the Bee, and The Ant Bully all fit this theme.

Webcams – You can do a Google search for websites with webcams that allow you to observe bugs.

Books – Check your kids’ bookshelf for books on bugs and butterflies. 

Image: minieco.co.uk

Welcome to Camp Au Pair in America!

When kids are out of school for the summer, it doesn’t take long for them to become bored and  sometimes that leads to sibling squabbles and mischief. Even though they don’t realize it, they are usually missing routine and predictability in their daily schedule. One solution is to make fun plans to keep them busy! 

Each week this summer we will share a different Camp Au Pair theme. These weekly themes are designed to give you ideas to keep your host kids occupied and engaged all summer long. They will also be learning. (But shhhh, don’t tell them that part.) Check back each Friday, for the next week’s theme. This gives you a chance to make plans and gather materials for the next week. For each theme there will be crafts, games, snacks and activities. You can just use these ideas or add your own and customize the themes to fit the ages and interests of your host children.

Here are the themes you can look forward to:

  • Art Experiences
  • Backyard Safari
  • Bugs & Butterflies
  • Cars and Trucks
  • Dinosaurs
  • Explore the World
  • Nature Explorations
  • Outer Space
  • Pirate Adventures
  • Princesses & Knights
  • Science (STEM)
  • Under the Sea

Check out Summer Fun & Summer Holidays pin boards for even more ideas.

If you get some great pictures doing these activities with your host kids, please send those to your counselor. We love to share your accomplishments and inspire other au pairs!

Let’s make this an amazing summer!

 

Make Your Own Play Dough

Play dough is the perfect modeling material for children. Their small hands can pat, poke, pinch, roll and knead it into many shapes. Keep it in an airtight container to use another day, or let it air dry into favorite shapes.

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Measure 2 cups of flour, one cup of salt and 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of oil to one cup of water in a separate bowl then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. For colored play dough, squeeze 10-20 drops of food coloring into the water before you add it to the mixture. Cook the dough at low heat in a wide pan, stirring constantly until it becomes rubbery. Remove the dough from the heat and knead it for a few minutes. When it cools the kids can play too!

Photo: Kevin Jarrett (Flickr)

Autumn Outdoor Fun for Au Pairs and Host Families in Montgomery County, Maryland

Corn maze

So many Pre-Halloween Activities in our Area! Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, Hay Rides, Apple Picking and more…

  • MNCPPC Agricultural History Farm Park – Harvest Festival with hayrides, old-time games, music, crafts, sheep dog demonstrations, food
    18400 Muncaster Mill Road, Derwood, MD. Phone: 301-721-0312. Open: October 6th and 7th (in 2007) from 11 am to 4 pm. Cclick the link to their website for later years dates. Admission is $5 per car. There is no pumpkin patch on the property and hayrides are not given days other than for the Harvest Festival. The Farm Park is open to the public to explore the historical farm site.
  • Butler’s Orchard – pumpkin patch, 1-acre corn maze, straw maze, pumpkin coach, pony rides and more
    22200 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, MD. Phone: 301-972-3299. the pumpkin patch is open Tuesday to Friday for Pumpkin Harvest Days. the farm market is open Tuesday through Sunday. Open for Harvest Days, Tuesdays-Fridays, 9:30-5 pm; Pumpkin Festival, 10 am to 5 pm (weekends and Columbus Day, October). Admission (in 2006) is $9/person for weekend pumpkin festivals (under 2 is FREE).  Directions and map.   Evening hayrides May to December. Click here for the events calendar. Credit cards accepted. Click here for current hours and crops that are ready!
  • Gazebo Garden Center and Nursery – pumpkins, a pumpkin and straw mountain.
    13101 Clopper Rd., Germantown, MD. Phone: 301-972-1010. Through October 20, Open: Monday through Saturday 9 to 7, Sundays 10 to 6; October 21-31, Open: Monday through Saturday 9 to 8, Sundays 10 to 7. Free pumpkin patch play area with stuffed cartoon characters.
  • Great Meadows Farm – pumpkins, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, child-sized haybale maze, prepicked produce, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, petting zoo
    6901 Annapolis Rock Rd., Woodbine, MD 21702. Phone: 301-253-5038. Email us at: click here. Crops are usually available in September, October, November. Open: We are open by appointment September through November. Payment: Cash, Check. We are a family owned/operated petting farm specializing in pre-k/ special education classes. We have chickens, pigs, horses, sheep, goats, cats, a hay ride, picnic area, and maze. Children can feed and pet the animals, play games, and stay for a picnic lunch. We also do birthday parties and church events.
  • Homestead Farm – Uses integrated pest management practices, pumpkins, Pick-your-own apples, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, tractor-pulled hay rides, Honey from hives on the farm, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, school tours
    15604 Sugarland Road, Poolesville, MD 20837. Phone: 301-977-3761. Email: Click here for a map and directions. Check our website for approximate harvest dates and other information. We use integrated pest management practices. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard, Discover. (UPDATED: May 04, 2010)
    Comments from a visitor, May 28, 2008: “My friends and I go to homestead farm (Poolesville, MD) every year for Apple and Pumpkin picking. This is the first year that we are going to do Strawberries. They have their own canned goods and cider, hayrides, and fun activities for the kids in summer and autumn.  It’s an easy ride outside of DC or from VA (and no, there are NO farms in DC to have any PYO). I love your site! thank you for your VERY valuable service! 🙂 “
  • Norman’s Farm Market – Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field,
    Jones Mill Road and East-west Highway, Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Phone: 301-674-9929. Email: Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: See website for directions. Click here for a map and directions. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. (ADDED: February 26, 2010)
  • Phillips Farm – pumpkin patch, free hayrides, petting zoo, weekend pony rides
    13710 Schaeffer Road, Germantown. Phone: 301-540-2364. Email: Fried Green Tomatoes, Marinated Fried Green Tomatoes, Grilled Sweet Corn, Taste of Summer Salad, Stuffed Pattypan Squash.
  • Pirate Adventure Corn Maze – pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, Fall festival, corn maze, haunted corn maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides, haunted house, haunted rides, haunted trail, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, Bouncy castle or moon bounce, pony rides, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
    19000 Darnestown Road, Beallesville, MD 20839. Phone: 301-948-3141. Alternate Phone: 240-994-6479. Email: Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Check out our website for directions. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. This unique pirate themed corn maze is 5 acres and features hay rides, treasure hunts, food, games, and more.
    (ADDED: October 27, 2009)
  • Rock Hill Orchard – Apples, beans, blackberries, cherries, flowers, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, prepicked produce, tractor-pulled hay rides
    28600 Ridge Road, Mount Airy, MD 21771. Phone: 301-831-7427 And for a map to our farm, click here. Crops are usually available in June, July, August, September, October. Open: Late April through October each day 9am-5pm. Open for pick your own June through October. Call for specific dates and times. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa/MasterCard. pick your own tart cherries.
  • Rockville Flower & Garden Spot – straw maze, straw mountain, petting zoo, pony rides
    Mid-Pike Plaza Shopping Center, 11800B Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD. Phone: 301-984-3565 or 301-294-6800. Open: Through October 20, Monday-Saturday 9 to 7, Sundays 10 to 6; October 21-31, open Monday-Saturday 9 to 9, Sundays 10 to 7. Free Pumpkinville Festival takes place daily through October 31. Kids can play on a straw mountain and walk through a free, 300-foot straw maze decorated with stuffed cartoon characters. For additional fees October 21, 22 and 29, pony rides, moon bounces and other children’s activities. The Haunted Trail of Terror, an electronic walk-through attraction for ages 10 and older, additional fee required, is open Saturdays and Sundays in October.

Thanks to Pumpkinpatchesandmore.org for this abundance of information!