Tag Archives: day camp

Camp Au Pair – Princesses and Knights

This week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Princesses and Knights.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to royalty, dragons, chivalry, fairies, and more, can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Princesses and Knights pinboard.

(Note – I recognize the inherent sexism in the title of this week, but I also know that kids really like princesses and knights. I’ll try to come up with a better title for next year.)

I chose this theme now because the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is coming up, and this will help everyone get in the mood. If you haven’t been to the Ren Fest, you’re missing out! This was the original Renaissance Festival, and even though they are found everywhere these days, I really feel this is something to experience!

Culture Sharing – Does your home country have a history of royalty? What about stories of dragons, fairies, things like that? Ancient ruins? You can share what it means with your host kids.

  • Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings. Check the websites before you go to be sure you understand the hours, costs, and whether advance tickets/reservations are required.
  • Kids Castle in Maplewood is a castle-themed play area for all ages
  • The American Swedish Insitute is a castle-shaped cultural musem in Minneapolis
  • The Witch’s Hat tower in St. Paul is a fun place to visit
  • The Renaissance Festival in Shakopee is the ultimate immersive experience

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

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

Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about medieval arts, jousting, and more.

Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on chivalry, castles, dragons, knights, princesses.

Check YouTube for books on medieval topics being read aloud:

Image: teachkidsart.com

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.

Culture Sharing – Share any specific forms of art that are popular in your home country (mosaics, origami, murals, fabric dying, etc.) Are there any famous artists from your country that you could share their works with your host kids?

Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings. Check the websites before you go to be sure you understand the hours, costs, and whether advance tickets/reservations are required.

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:

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:

Image: teachkidsart.com

Camp Au Pair – Art Experiences Week!

Art Experiences can mean a lot of different things, from quietly sketching in museums to running from sculpture to sculpture in a big outdoor garden, to making messy art with rubber bands, to painting bread with stripes before eating the whole creation. Our Pinterest board has all of these ideas and a ton more, as well as local art Field Trips.

You can find tons of great ideas at our Pinterest board.

Local art field trips include Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden, MIA, the Weisman Museum on the U Of M campus, the museum of Russian Art, Caponi Art Park in Eagan, Western Art Park in St. Paul, Franconia Art Park near Taylor’s Falls, Harrison Scultpure Garden in Chaska, and more. While you’re there, spend just enough time talking about what they see without overwhelming them with fancy details. You can bring a sketchbook and pencils to most museums so kids can make a lasting record of the visit.

If you’re not sure your kiddos are ready for a visit to a real museum, you can do a virtual visit to any museum in the world – are there any you visit in your hometown?

Seeking inspiration? Here are museums you can visit virtually. (list courtesy of the Minnetonka Center for the Arts)

But remember, parents love to have some kid art for the fridge, or for the office, or to wear as jewelry. You can create truly meaningful memories just splashing paint around on a piece of poster board in the back yard. Have fun! (and try to control the mess!)

Camp Au Pair – Cooking with Kids

This week’s theme for Camp Au Pair is Cooking with Kids. Even the littlest kids can help shake up a bag of ice cream! And with the heat coming our way, you might be happy to have ideas planned that you can do in the air conditioning. The ideas on the Pinterest board include homemade butter, fun healthy snacks, science-y ideas like the ice cream in a bag, and entire meals kids can make for their families (with a little help from you!)

Nutrition and healthy eating are important for many families. The Pinterest board includes age-appropriate activities to help kids understand how the food they eat affects how they grow and feel.

Field trip ideas include Mill City Museum, where kids can learn about the flour milling industry in Minnesota (the most EXPLOSIVE museum in the world – iykyk,) and a site where you can find farmer’s markets near you. Kids will love being able to choose the vegetables they get for lunch – plus you can always grab a few honey sticks, for kids over 12 months. The big Minneapolis farmers market by the Basilica has music and samples. My kids love it!

Here’s the link to the Pinterest board:

https://www.pinterest.com/?boardId=95279417055562239

Camp Au Pair – Under the Sea

Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Under the Sea.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to creatures who live under the sea can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Under the Sea 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. Check the websites before you go to be sure you understand the hours, costs, and whether advance tickets/reservations are required. Search online to see if your area has any of the following:

  • Pet or outdoor store (Bass Pro Shop) with fish tanks
  • Aquarium
  • Zoo
  • Nature Center

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – NOAA has a lot of fun, interactive and educational activities on their website. They focus on whales, sharks, sea turtles, sea lions and more.

  • Virtual Underwater Dive
  • Online Games
  • Puzzle, Activity & Coloring Sheets

Webcams – You can do a google search for aquariums and zoos across the country (and the world) with webcams that allow you to observe sea creatures. Here are a few to get you started.

Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about sea creatures. There’s more to see than Baby Shark. Movies like Finding Nemo, Dolphin Tale, and The Little Mermaid also go well with this theme.

Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on sea creatures. The Rainbow Fish is a classic children’s book, your kids may already own. If not, you can find videos like this of it being read aloud.

Movies – There are lots of movies with under the sea themes.

  • A Dolphin Tale 
  • Finding Dory
  • Finding Nemo
  • Little Mermaid
  • Moana
  • Moana 2
  • Shark Tale 
  • Song of the Sea

Television – There are some episodes of children’s television shows that talk about life under the sea.

The Magic School Bus is a television series that follows Ms. Frizzle and her class as they set off on field trips. Most episodes can be found on YouTube. Here are some episodes that fit this week’s theme.

Bill Nye the Science Guy has episodes on Fish, Marine Animals and more on YouTube.

The Discovery Channel has an annual Shark Week coming up on July 20. Check out 15 JAW-some Activities for Shark Week with lots of fun ideas for kids in grades 5 and up, but a few for younger kids too.

Photo: mimisdollhouse.com

Camp Au Pair – Explore the World

Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Explore the World.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to cultural exchange can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Explore the World 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. Field Trip Ideas:
  • Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis
  • American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis
  • Asia Mall in Eden Prairie
  • Japanese Garden at Normandale
  • Farmer’s Markets, where kids can taste something from another culture
Virtual Field Trips: Toys – Au pairs can show kids toys that they played with when they were little, or make toys that represent different cultures. Globe beach balls can be an easy way to show kids where different countries are. Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about different cultures. Here are a few to get you started. Movies – Here are some movies that fit the international theme.
  • Anastasia (Russia)
  • Madeline (France)
  • Mulan (China)
  • Encanto (Colombia)
  • Vivo (Cuba)
  • Frozen (Norway)
  • Luca (Italy)
For older kids:
  • The Queen of Katwe (Uganda)
  • Whale Rider (New Zealand) (PG-13 but probably should be PG) 
Books – Check your kids’ bookshelf for books on different cultures. You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube. The library also has lots of great options for books about different countries.

Photo: krojotak.com

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:

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

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 community counselor. We love to share your accomplishments and inspire other au pairs!

Let’s make this an amazing summer!

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.

Culture Sharing – Share any specific forms of art that are popular in your home country (mosaics, origami, murals, fabric dying, etc.) Are there any famous artists from your country that you could share their works with your host kids?

Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings. Check the websites before you go to be sure you understand the hours, costs, and whether advance tickets/reservations are required.

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:

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:

Image: teachkidsart.com

Camp Au Pair: Art Experiences

Next 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Culture Sharing – Share any specific forms of art that are popular in your home country (mosaics, origami, murals, fabric dying, etc.) Are there any famous artists from your country that you could share their works with your host kids?

Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings. Check the websites before you go to be sure you understand the hours, costs, and whether advance tickets/reservations are required.

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:

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:

Image: teachkidsart.com

Camp Au Pair – Science (STEM)

This week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Science (STEM). This includes science, technology, engineering and math.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to all things science, technology, engineering and math can be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Science (STEM) 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. Here are a few places to go, that fit this theme:

  • Nature Walk
  • Science Centers
  • Pick Your Own Farms
  • Nature Centers
  • Botanical Gardens or Garden Store
  • Television/Radio Museum
  • Into the City to See Skyscrapers
  • Building or Technology Museum

Virtual Field Trips

Videos – On YouTube you can find many great videos of with science experiments to do with kids.

The Magic School Bus is a cartoon series with episodes on lots of great science topics. You can find some episodes on YouTube and the full series on Paramount Plus.

Movies – The Lego Movie, Big Hero 6, Wall-E and Hidden Figures all fit the STEM theme.

Webcams – You can do a google search for science websites with webcams. Here is a collection of 22 science webcams from around the world.

Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on science, technology, engineering and math.

Image: sweetpaulmag.com