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Top Ten Outdoor Activities for Fall

Top Ten Outdoor Activities for Fall

Summer is over, and in many places the air is turning colder. As the weather changes be sure to take advantage of what the fall season has to offer. Even if you don’t live in a place that sees a lot colorful leaves, there are fun family-friendly ways to get outdoors this fall:

• Go apple picking. Sure, most of us can get apples year-round from the grocery store, but there’s nothing quite like orchard fresh apples, picked straight from the tree during harvest season. That crunchy, tangy, sweet apple flavor is at its peak during this time of year. Many commercial orchards will let you pick your own. It’s not only fun, it’s also a great way to show kids where their food comes from. Get extras for canning applesauce, or making pies. When you’re done, warm up with a delicious mulled cider.

• Go on a nature hike. Bring along a field guide to identify different kinds of trees. Look for wildlife collecting food for winter. Explain to kids how animals are starting to fatten up and grow thick, protective winter coats. Watch for migrating birds.

• Collect fall leaves. Press them into books or preserve them in glycerin (recipe below*). Paste them onto handmade paper to create greeting cards, or glue them between two pieces of wax paper to make an attractive sun catcher. Go lightly on the glue, or substitute crayon shavings to add color; use a warm iron to melt the shavings and hold the paper together.

• Take a hayride. Many farms offer hayrides during the fall. This is a great way to kick back and enjoy nature with smaller kids who may not be up for a long walk.

• Visit the pumpkin patch. Don’t buy your Halloween pumpkin from the grocery store. Go straight to the source. Kids will love wandering around the patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin. Choose a couple of big ones for jack-o-lanterns, and grab a few smaller ones for painting or general household decorations. Smaller pumpkins make great additions to fall centerpieces. Roast the seeds in your oven with a sprinkling of tasty spices, and grab a few to make pumpkin pies.

• Visit a corn maze. Many farms earn extra income for the winter by turning their cornfields into large mazes. Test your directional sense, and get some fresh air in the process. Corn mazes are fun or all ages.

• Stuff a scarecrow. Dig out an old shirt and overalls, and stuff it with leaves until firm. Add a pumpkin head (from your trip to the pumpkin patch) and you’ve got a great fall decoration.

• Fly a kite. The gusty, brisk air makes autumn a great time for flying kites. Buy one from the store, or make your own from two long sticks, strong paper, and string.

• Have a bonfire. Invite some friends over for a backyard bonfire. The chill in the air makes fall the perfect time to sit together by the warmth of a blazing fire with a nice warm mug of cocoa or cider. Be sure to get any necessary permits from your town first.

• Make a leaf pile and jump in!

*Bring a mixture of two parts water to one part glycerin to a boil in a saucepan, and pour the solution into a heat-safe container. Drop in the leaves, and gently submerge them with a wooden spoon. Place the container in a cool, dark place for up to seven days. Remove the leaves when you begin to notice a slight change in their coloring, and blot them dry with a paper towel

Make It The Best Year Ever

There are so many new faces in the cluster.  You must have heard “make this the best year ever”, but what does it really mean?  Here is a list of suggestions I gathered from my former au pairs.  They all agree that the year goes by really fast and despite having some bad days, they do miss being an au pair.  When I asked them what suggestions they wanted to share, here is what they told me:

1.  Take good care of the kids (this really was their first response!)

2.  Listen and respect your host family, be honest about your mistakes, don’t try to hide them….it will only make things worse.

3.  Travel as soon as you can, don’t procrastinate.

4.  Meet new people, try not to hang out with only au pairs from your country

5.  Enjoy every moment

6.  Be open-minded, don’t compare

7.  Don’t spend all your money on the stuff you don’t need.  It’s not easy to take it home

8.  Give it a good chance, even it you are feeling homesick, shy or nervous. Stick it out because its definitely worth it

9.  Take advantage of your free time, volunteer and help out.  The reference letter may help you get a job in the future.

10.  Pick your classes carefully.  There are some options that you will find interesting.

Enjoy your journey!

Gardening and Learning about Insects

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Gardening

One way to spend time outside with the children (any age from two up) is to work in the garden. A garden is more than just plants. It’s also a home for birds, bees, butterflies, earthworms and other creatures that help the garden grow.

Children love to care for other living things, and plants are an easy choice that can give a great sense of accomplishment. Check with your host parents about where you can garden. Ideally, your little garden will have at least six hours of sun a day.

For outdoor gardening you will need to buy some seeds. If your garden has less than six hours of sun, choose seeds that can grow in “partial” sun. Select flower seeds that germinate quickly. The back of the seed packet will tell you how long before the plants sprout. Marigolds and morning glories are easy to grow and will come up quickly. Buying vegetable seeds will allow children to eat and share what they grow. Radishes are the fastest growing vegetable – from seed to salad in just three weeks. Green beans, tomatoes, summer squash and cucumbers are other good choices, but they do take longer. Be sure to plant extra seeds because not every one will germinate. This is an important lesson for children – mistakes are natural and an inevitable part of life. If you are starting late and want to make sure you will have a vegetable harvest, you can also buy small plants at a local plant nursery.

Before you plant the seeds, use a shovel, trowel or spade to loosen the soil. Remove weeds, stones and grass from the area. If the soil is very hard (like clay) or very sandy, it would be a good idea to add peat moss or compost to the soil. You will also need a hose or a watering can so that the children can water the earth when it doesn’t rain. If the plants look droopy or the soil feels dry, it is time to water. It is very important to water even before the plants sprout. It is best to water early in the morning or in the late afternoon.

Gardening includes other simple science lessons, all concepts that children can understand. Plants lean or turn towards light. Plants use water, but some of it evaporates into the air. What happens to the water that has evaporated? Without water plants will dry up and die. Plants come from other parts of the world, and sometimes their form gives clues to their origin. Can you find seeds that are native to your country?

When you go out into the garden, take care of the plants, pulling up weeds gently and also any sprouted seeds that are growing too close to another plant. But also look around and look closely at the ground to find birds and bugs that are a part of gardening. You can discuss how living things rely on plants to live, and how the plants need their animal friends. Birds spread seeds; earthworms loosen the dirt for the roots of the plants. What do bees do?

Look for books about gardening in the library. Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss is a wonderful book for very young children. Take photographs of your gardening project. It will be surprising and satisfying to look at the starting photos at the end of the harvest. And don’t forget to put on sunscreen before you do your gardening!

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Learning about insects

Talking to children about insects is a fun activity in the summer when there are so many around!

Some easy facts for you to know:

  • There are more kinds of insects than any other kind of animal.
  • They live all over the world, even in ice and snow.
  • They never have more than 3 pairs of legs. If it has more, it’s not an insect!
  • All insects come from eggs.

Outside Activity: To learn more about insects, go on a hunt outside. Collect the insects you find in a jar and then examine them with a magnifying glass.

Recipe: Make a snack of “ants on a log.” Spread peanut butter on a stick of celery and then add raisins on the top.

Read: Children up to age seven will enjoy “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle. Look for it in the library.

Inside activities:

  • Make a caterpillar from a cardboard egg carton cut in half lengthwise. Turn each section upside down to paint with water-based paint. Use pipe cleaners to make the antennae. Draw or glue eyes and a mouth.
  • Make a butterfly by putting small pieces of colored tissue paper in a clear sandwich bag. Seal the bag. Squeeze the bag in half with the sealed edge at the top. Twist a tie around the middle and adjust the end of the twist tie to make antennae.

Memorial Day Celebration

Background

Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers, who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored their dead. After World War I, it was extended to include all men and women, who died in any war or military action.

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. The current name for this day did not come into use until after World War II. Decoration Day and then Memorial Day used to be held on May 30, regardless of the day of the week, on which it fell. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed as part of a move to use federal holidays to create three-day weekends. This meant that that, from 1971, Memorial Day holiday has been officially observed on the last Monday in May. However, it took a longer period for all American states to recognize the new date.

What do people do?

It is traditional to fly the flag of the United States at half mast from dawn until noon. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials to honor everyone, who has died, and those, who have died in military service, in particular. In National Cemeteries, volunteers place an American flag on each grave.

Memorial Day has become less of an occasion of remembrance. Many people choose to hold picnics, sports events and family gatherings on this weekend. This day is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season for cultural events. For the fashion conscious, it is seen as acceptable to wear white clothing, particularly shoes from Memorial Day until Labor Day. However, fewer and fewer people follow this rule and many wear white clothing throughout the year.

Public life

Memorial Day is a federal holiday. All non-essential Government offices are closed, as are schools, businesses and other organizations. Most public transit systems do not run on their regular schedule. Many people see Memorial Day weekend as an opportunity to go on a short vacation or visit family or friends. This can cause some congestion on highways and at airports.

Upcoming Cluster Meetings for 2013

January-Dave and Busters Arcade

February-76ers Basketball Game, Philadelphia

March-Chinatown Brunch, Philadelphia

April-Laser tag

May-Bowling

June-Phillies Baseball Game

July-Summer Barbeque

August-Education Information Meeting

September-Hard Rock Cafe, Philadelphia

October-Eastern State Penitentiary Tour

November-International Thanksgiving Dessert Party

December-Holiday Party

National Family Week November 18-24

Families are so busy. Sometimes we may need a reminder to spend time together. Enjoy a meal together, play a board game or a video game tournament, rake the leaves, walk around the block/neighborhood, go to the park… there are a lot of fun things to do- it just takes a little planning!

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Turkey Nut Holder

Turkey Nut Holder Thanksgiving Craft

Total Time Needed:
1 Hour

An egg carton in clever disguise, these individualized cups hold a nutty snack for young gobblers.

Materials
  • Pencil
  • Egg carton
  • Scissors or X-acto knife
  • Tempera paint (brown or yellow)
  • 4-inch pipe cleaner
  • Pushpin (optional)
  • 2 googly eyes
  • Colored feathers (available at craft stores)
  • Glue stick
  • White paper
  • Toothpick
  • Marker
Instructions
  1. Draw a cut line around one of the cups in the egg carton. Then, cut along the line (a parent’s job) and paint the cup.
  2. Fold the pipe cleaner in half and twist the ends together to form a wattle. Push the exposed wire through the top of the turkey’s beak until one third of the pipe cleaner is through the hole. (Tip: Stick a pushpin through the carton first.) To keep the wattle from slipping out, bend down the inserted end.
  3. Glue on the googly eyes and feathers.
  4. To make a name tag flag, cut out a strip of white paper. Cover one side with glue, then place a toothpick in the middle and fold the paper in half so the toothpick is glued inside. When the paper is dry, write on a name, then stick the toothpick through one side of the turkey, and the holder is ready to fill with nuts.

Halloween Ghost Jug Decorations

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Stationed on a walkway or porch, these homemade lanterns will extend a ghostly greeting and good-bye to all your holiday visitors.

Materials
  • Clean plastic gallon milk jugs
  • Black permanent marker
  • Craft knife
  • String of 50 clear low-wattage holiday lights
Instructions
  1. Draw ghost eyes and mouths on the jugs. Tip: Leave the caps on while you do this, so the jugs don’t dent.
  2. Use the craft knife to cut a half-dollar-size hole in the back of each jug (a parent’s job).
  3. Arrange the ghosts near each other and string the lights between them, stuffing several bulbs into each of the jugs.

It’s time for Goblins and Ghosts!

Going trick-or-treating?

Below are tips to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters

Alphabet letter S Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
Alphabet letter A Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
Alphabet letter F Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
Alphabet letter E Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
Alphabet letter H Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don’t run from house to house.
Alphabet letter A Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.
Alphabet letter L Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
Alphabet letter L Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
Alphabet letter O Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
Alphabet letter W Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
Alphabet letter E Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.
Alphabet letter E Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult.
Alphabet letter N Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.