Posts Filed in ‘Fun Things We Do’ Category
Helping Young Children Learn Language
March 15th, 2017by Christine Connally | Comments Off on Helping Young Children Learn Language
Being an au pair is an important role in a child’s life. When you are caring for a young child up to 45 hours per week, there are lots of opportunities to help them learn language. Many host parents are eager for their children to be exposed to foreign language. If this is true of […]
Handling Expenses
February 15th, 2017by Christine Connally | Comments Off on Handling Expenses
Host parents often ask for suggestions on how best to handle common expenses that occur as au pairs are caring for the children. Miscellaneous Expenses There are different ways to handle the little day to day expenses that come up. Things like when an au pair takes the kids out for ice cream or picks up […]
Winter Fun and Safety – Sledding!
January 9th, 2017by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on Winter Fun and Safety – Sledding!
SLEDDING SAFETY TIPS from the Minnesota Safety Council CHOOSING A SLED Look for solid construction – avoid homemade sleds, inflatable sleds that could be punctured, and equipment with sharp edges. Energy-absorbing seat pads will help cushion jolts to the spine. Examine sleds to be sure handholds are secure and steering works easily. FINDING A SAFE […]
Cultural Calendar
October 17th, 2016by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on Cultural Calendar
APIA offers many services to our families. One that I haven’t yet mentioned is our Cultural Calendar. This handy calendar shows the special days and times of year in a easy-to-read visual calendar. It will help your au pair better understand seasons and celebrations in America as well as provide a calendar for possible fun activities. […]
St. Patrick’s Day in the US
March 15th, 2016by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on St. Patrick’s Day in the US
St. Patrick’s Day is a pretty popular holiday here in the US. It’s not much like St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, which I understand is a pretty typical religious minor holiday. Here, it’s mainly an excuse to have fun. Many Americans wear green on March 17th, and at some schools the other kids will pinch […]
St. Valentine’s Day
February 7th, 2016by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on St. Valentine’s Day
Hey – Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Are you ready? In the United States, kids almost always celebrate some form of Valentine’s Day. At my school, we are calling it Friendship Day, but it will be otherwise the same as it was waaaaay back when I was in elementary school: kids will bring […]
Winter Olympics
February 5th, 2014by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on Winter Olympics
The Olympics are almost here! When they changed it so the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics would be staggered, so there would be one every two years instead of both every four, I didn’t like it, but now I really do. And with so many Minnesotans participating in the Sochi Olympics, it’s going to more […]
Super Bowl Sunday
January 30th, 2013by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on Super Bowl Sunday
The Super Bowl is the annual American Football championship and a popular time for friends to gather in front of the TV. Each year millions of people watch the game, the half-time show – or just the commercials! People will be talking about the commercials for days. To learn more about football visit the “Life […]
Camp Au Pair
July 23rd, 2012by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on Camp Au Pair
We have a great set of ideas for au pair ‘day camp’ suitable for all ages. They are organized around various themes, such as “Under the Sea,” “Cars and Trucks,” and “Dinosaurs.” The most current one is “London Olympics,” which is a great way for families to use the cultural exchange aspect of the au […]
Minnesota Au Pairs Give to the Community!
June 25th, 2012by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on Minnesota Au Pairs Give to the Community!
Au pairs living in Minnesota, who are from Germany, France, South Africa, Thailand, and Colombia, helped pack over 4,000 meals for children living in desperate situations. Great work, ladies!
