Category Archives: Child Care

Camp Au Pair – Car and Truck Week

Thanks to COVID19, a lot of kids are going to miss out on day camp this year. Our au pairs can run a weekly camp for the kids that will be even more fun, since it’s designed just for them! Plus they don’t have to spend all that time on the bus going back and forth. Every week I’ll post some ideas from the Au Pair in America Pinterest, Camp Au Pair boards. But feel free to browse them on your own.

This week we are going to focus on learning about cars and trucks. Most kids have a little gearhead in them, right? The board has a ton of great ideas for playing with cars and trucks. Here’s a Pinterest board with a ton of ideas for kids of every age. Check it out and pick one or two for every day this week.

https://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/camp-au-pair-cars-trucks/

Here are just a few samples of the kind of thing you’ll find:

15 ideias para guardar (ou reaproveitar) carrinhos Hot Wheels | Macetes de Mãe  Balloon Powered LEGO Car – Science Sparks

DIY road signs for car play that are interchangeable and great for fine motor development from And Next Comes L Race Car Treats made from healthy fruit and veggies: Clementine segment + grapes + toothpicks = Fruit Race Car Mini bell pepper + baby carrot + toothpicks = Veggie Race Car

Let’s get motoring!

Camp Au Pair – Art Experiences

Thanks to COVID19, a lot of kids are going to miss out on day camp this year. Our au pairs can run a weekly camp for the kids that will be even more fun, since it’s designed just for them! Plus they don’t have to spend all that time on the bus going back and forth. Every week I’ll post some ideas from the Au Pair in America Pinterest, Camp Au Pair boards. But feel free to browse them on your own.

This week we are going to focus on learning about art. The board has a ton of great ideas for kid-made art, and also some advice for taking kids to the museum. Here in Minneapolis, we have some amazing museums and when there’s a rainy day. it can be the perfect activity. MIA in particular is very family-friendly and free. Here’s a Pinterest board with a ton of ideas for kids of every age. Check it out and pick one or two for every day this week.

https://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/camp-au-pair-art-experiences/

Here are just a few samples of the kind of thing you’ll find:

Rock Painting Ideas & Painted Rock Crafts! Learn how to paint rocks and explore the best rock painting ideas for kids with the easy ideas. Have you ever found a painted rock in nature? Come see what we found! | #RhythmsOfPlay #ArtOutside #Rocks #NaturalLe Learn how to make colorful suncatchers from leftover homemade slime.

Combine math and art for creative kids. { These totally make trips like this much more fun! } Great tips and fun games ot play at the art museum.

Now go be creative!

Camp Au Pair – Dinosaur Week

Thanks to COVID19, a lot of kids are going to miss out on day camp this year. Our au pairs can run a weekly camp for the kids that will be even more fun, since it’s designed just for them! Plus they don’t have to spend all that time on the bus going back and forth. Every week I’ll post some ideas from the Au Pair in America Pinterest, Camp Au Pair boards. But feel free to browse them on your own.

This week we are going to focus on learning about dinosaurs. I think kids really like dinosaurs because it fascinating to think of such gigantic animals roaming the same places they do themselves. Here’s a Pinterest board with a ton of ideas for kids of every age. Check it out and pick one or two for every day this week.

https://www.pinterest.com/apiaminnesota/camp-au-pair-dinosaur-week/

Some of the things you’ll see there:

Salt dough dinosaurs Make your own dinosaur eggs, fun preschool craft from Projects for Preschoolers

Dinosaur shape game Awesome Dinosaur themed snack

 

Have a roaring good time!

Camp Au Pair – Under the Sea

Thanks to COVID19, a lot of kids are going to miss out on day camp this year. Our au pairs can run a weekly camp for the kids that will be even more fun, since it’s designed just for them! Plus they don’t have to spend all that time on the bus going back and forth. Every week I’ll post some ideas from the Au Pair in America Pinterest, Camp Au Pair boards. But feel free to browse them on your own.

This week we are going to focus on learning about the ocean!  There are so many amazing things to study in the sea. Here’s a Pinterest board with a ton of ideas for kids of every age. Check it out and pick one or two for every day this week.

https://www.pinterest.com/apiaminnesota/camp-au-pair-under-the-sea-week/

Some of the things you’ll see there:

Jellyfish craft Magnifying waterscope craft

Clever clothespin crafts - big fish little fish Bathtub Fishing- Make your own fishing game!

Camp Au Pair – Cooking with Kids

Thanks to COVID19, a lot of kids are going to miss out on day camp this year. Our au pairs can run a weekly camp for the kids that will be even more fun, since it’s designed just for them! Plus they don’t have to spend all that time on the bus going back and forth. Every week I’ll post some ideas from the Au Pair in America Pinterest, Camp Au Pair boards. But feel free to browse them on your own.

This week we are going to focus on learning about cooking with kids!  Kids love making something themselves that they get to eat. Here’s a Pinterest board with a ton of ideas for kids of every age. Check it out and pick one or two for every day this week.

https://www.pinterest.com/apiaminnesota/camp-au-pair-cooking-with-kids/

Some of the things you’ll see there:

Recipes from Your Child's Favorite Books. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs". Green Eggs & Ham pretzel snacks. A perfect snack to go with the Dr. Seuss book.

Tasty Science - Make your own solar oven to cook s'mores Make your own ice cream

Now get in the kitchen! Have a tasty week!

Camp Au Pair – Outer Space

Thanks to COVID19, a lot of kids are going to miss out on day camp this year. Our au pairs can run a weekly camp for the kids that will be even more fun, since it’s designed just for them! Plus they don’t have to spend all that time on the bus going back and forth. Every week I’ll post some ideas from the Au Pair in America Pinterest, Camp Au Pair boards. But feel free to browse them on your own.

This week we are going to focus on learning about outer space!  All kids like to learn about space, about the sun, moon, stars, etc. Here’s a Pinterest board with a ton of ideas for kids of every age. Check it out and pick one or two for every day this week.

https://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/camp-au-pair-outer-space/

A few samples:

If you really want to get creative... Make a Jet Pack (from 2 liter bottles) for your little astronaut.this would be a great craft for the kids to learn the moon phases Outer space snack ideas for kids channeling my inner space nerd and perfect since we live in Huntsville!

Have fun and happy exploring!

Social Distancing: Free Virtual Escape Rooms

Libraries may be closed due to COVID-19, but many librarians are coming up with creative ideas to keep people entertained and promote literacy. One of those creative ideas is free virtual escape rooms. With a variety of themes, some may be fun to do on your own, others as activities with the kids.

Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA created this Hogwarts Virtual Escape Room. She shared this tutorial on how to create your own virtual escape room, which seemed to spark the creativity of many other librarians.

Some amazing librarians all over the country have been busy creating virtual escape rooms with a variety of themes.

Special thanks to the Humboldt County Library in Winnemucca, Nevada for gathering info on many of these escape rooms. Follow them on Facebook for their storytimes and weekly Facebook Live Science Time on Fridays.

Image: Canva.com

Social Distancing: 5 Apps to Plan Your Future Trips

Being spontaneous and just traveling to a place and deciding what to do as you go along can be fun. But, there are benefits to doing research and planning before your trips. These ideas are to help you make general plans. You shouldn’t book any tickets or make any financial commitments until you know when travel will safely resume.

Planning can help you:

  • Save money
  • Make the best use of your time
  • Fit in more adventures
  • Visit places you might not have heard of before

It also extends the joy of the travel time. Planning all the thing you will do, gives you something to look forward to. We can all use things to look forward to right now.

If you are looking for travel inspiration and ideas or a place to keep your travel ideas organized, Pinterest is a great place to start. You can browse other people’s travel and bucket list pinboards. You can create your own pinboards for places you want to go and ones you have already visited.

These three apps are all trip planners and offer the ability to research places and create your own itinerary. Each one has its own look and feel and slightly different features. Download them and see which one is the best fit for you.

Road trips can be the ultimate adventure. You set your own pace and stop to see what you want. The journey can be as much fun as your destination.

  • Road Trippers is an app that helps you plan the ultimate road trip. It helps you determine your route and find interesting stops along the way.

We won’t be stuck inside forever. Once travel resumes, be ready with your plans!

Photo: Natacha R. from France

Social Distancing: 5 Online Adventures for Kids

Reading, playing, and doing art projects are always great ways to entertain children and keep them physically active and learning. It’s a good idea to limit screen time. But, in this time of social distancing, technology can play an important role in allowing kids to see and connect with the world outside of their homes. Many online resources are popping up to create those opportunities.

Here are five to get you started:

And if kids have questions about the coronavirus, Live Science has created an ultimate kids’ guide to the new coronavirus that has lots of information and is appropriate for school-aged kids.

Social Distancing: 10 Things You CAN Do Right Now

Social distancing is important right now to help slow the spread of coronavirus. This means avoiding places where you come in contact with lots of people (schools, movies, restaurants, museums, concerts, parties, etc.)  I am sure you keep hearing a lot about the things you should not do.

It’s also important to have ideas of things you can do. There are plenty of activities you can do at home and away from crowds.

While we can’t control many things going on right now in the world, we can choose how we deal with it.

“She turned her can’ts into cans
and her dreams into plans.” – Kobi Yamada

 

Here are 10 things you CAN do right now:

  • Stay connected with your friends and family via social media, texting, and Skype.
  • Go for a walk or run on your own. As long as you don’t go to a populated place, it’s fine to go out for some exercise.
  • Enjoy nature. That could be sitting outside in your backyard on a nice day or walking on a nature trail.
  • Read a book or listen to an audiobook or podcast. Getting lost in a story is a great way to take your mind off of things. Or if you pick a non-fiction book or podcast you may learn something new. You could even create an online book club or podcast discussion group with friends.
  • Do yoga. Yoga can be a great way to relieve stress and maintain your fitness. There are many free yoga videos on Youtube. Sign up here to receive daily emails for 30 Days of Yoga.
  • Take virtual tours of museums online.*
  • Make memories in the kitchen.* Cooking recipes from your home country is a great way to share your culture with your host family and give yourself a taste of home. Cooking classic American recipes is a way to continue your cultural exchange. You can find lots of recipes online. Also, you will be able to share that taste of America with your own family by cooking some of these recipes after you return home at the end of your program.
  • Have an online watch party with friends. When you watch a movie alone do you miss talking to a friend about what’s happening? Pick a time and a movie and from your individual homes you each stream the movie on Netflix at the same time. You can text or do a group chat during the movie.
  • Make top 10 lists of your favorite things like movies, foods, songs and more. Share and compare lists with your friends. You may find out some things you didn’t know about each other and get some ideas for new things to try.
  • Research and plan trips to places you want to visit while in the U.S.* This time of social distancing won’t last forever. Use this time to do some research online and make plans. This will help you make the most of those trips when you get to take them a few months from now. It will also give you something to look forward to.

*Future blog posts in this series will have more detailed information on these topics.