Here is a video explaining how to carve a pumpkin (as well as some non-carving alternatives.) If you get a pumpkin at our pumpkin patch cluster meeting, I don’t recommend carving it until the week of Halloween, so it will stay looking fresh for big day.
Tag Archives: crafts
Winter Holidays and Things To Do
A Rhode Island winter can be very cold and snowy! This means that you may end up indoors with your host children. The Winter Holidays Au Pair in America pinboard on Pinterest has some great ideas for things to do during the holidays and during the winter.
Photo credit: Jay Gooby (Flikr)
Happy Rosh Hashanah!
Wishing our Jewish host families, au pairs, community counselors, colleagues and friends a very Happy New Year. Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Sunday October 2nd and ends in the evening of Tuesday October 4th.
The customs and symbols of Rosh Hashanah reflect the holiday’s dual emphasis on both happiness and humility. Customs observed on Rosh Hashanah include the sounding of the shofar (a musical horn) and eating special foods including round challah (bread), which symbolizes the circle of life, and sweet foods for a sweet New Year. It is also customary to extend wishes for a good year. In Hebrew, the simple form of the greeting is “L’shanah tovah!”
Here is a great site for children including information about the holiday traditions, games, word searches, Hebrew vocabulary and crafts.
http://www.akhlah.com/jewish-holidays/roshhashanah/
Want to try cooking for the holiday? Find out how to make Challah, Honey Cakes…and lots more here:
Fun Fall Activity Ideas
The Fall is a beautiful time here in New England. Many days are still warm but it can also cool down a bit. It’s a great time to hike, kayak, and go apple picking. If you don’t know what to do with your host children then check out these
Fun Fall Activity Ideas on the Au Pair in America pinboard on Pinterest. Photo: Joe Madonna (Flickr).
Happy 4th of July
Known as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades, family gatherings and barbecues.
This weekend you can count on enjoying traditional favorites such as hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken, ribs, potato salad, chips and watermelon.
A few facts about this Holiday!
· Fourth of July is the federal holiday marking the Colonies’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776,
· The Fourth of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941.
· The oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States is the 4th of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island; it began in 1785.
· The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence.
· Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who wanted the bald eagle.
· The “Star Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 and not decreed the official national anthem of the United States until 1931.
· In 1776, there were 2.5 million people living in the new nation. (Today there are over 311 million.)
· here are more than 30 towns nationwide that have the word “Liberty” in their names.
· Approximately 150 million hot dogs are consumed on this day. It’s the biggest hot dog holiday of the year.
Have fun with the children too, visit the link below for fun coloring pages, craft ideas, puzzles and games to celebrate the 4th of July holiday
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a patriotic holiday in the United States of America, celebrated on the last Monday in May. It is a celebration of remembrance for the brave service of men and women who gave their lives for their country. Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971. We now, designate this day to remember loved ones who have passed on, as well as remembering our service men and women. Flowers and flags are placed on graves in remembrance of them. Parades and dedications of memorials usually are part of the day’s activities. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, local marching bands, members of the armed service, fire departments, police departments, and fraternal orders often march in parades and attend ceremonies to commemorate the day.
Here are a couple of links to website that have activities you can do with the children in honor of Memorial Day.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/memorial-day/
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day in the USA!
Valentine’s day is celebrated in the United States every year on February 14th. There are many stories and legends behind who the real St. Valentine was, but most scholars agree that he was a martyr who was killed by Roman soldiers because he was marrying people in secret at a time when marriage was outlawed. Later in the Middle Ages, a great writer named Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem as a present to King Richard II, who was going to be married soon. In it, he mentioned St. Valentine, and over time, the idea of Valentine’s Day became associated with the idea of love.
During the Victorian times (in the 1800s), Valentine’s Day became extremely popular! Men and women spent a lot of time making beautiful Valentine’s cards with ribbon, fancy paper and even lace. In those days, people were very reserved and they did not often say what they were feeling. Valentine’s day gave them a way to express their feelings to someone they were in love with anonymously. The sender would remain a mystery until they could speak more freely.
In the last few decades, Valentine’s day has changed a lot! Today we still exchange cards, but many people buy ready-made cards instead. We also give flowers or chocolates as a gift to remind people of our friendship and love for them. Most Valentine’s gifts and cards make use of the colors red and pink, and are decorated with images of hearts or roses. Another common symbol of love on this day is Cupid, the Roman god of love. He is usually shown as a little angel with a bow and arrow. According to legend, anyone who is struck by his arrows will fall in love.
Here are some links with ideas about how you can celebrate and have fun with the children you care for over the next couple of weeks!
Click here for Valentine’s Day Cards, coloring pages, recipes, crafts, games and puzzles: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/
Check out our Au Pair in America Pinterest page for Valentine’s Day for more ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/valentines-day/
10 Christmas Tree Ornaments Kids Can Make
10. Handprint Reindeer
This cute little reindeer ornament is super simple to make and only requires your kid’s hand, some brown paint and paper. Have your child place their hand in the paint and press it on a fresh piece of paper. Once it dries, cut it out and add your decorations for a super cute reindeer you can hang on the tree. Easy, cheap and fun!
9. Cupcake Angels
This is a great way to use up the extra cupcake wrappers you had leftover from the school bake sale. Simply fold them in triangles and glue them together to create charming little angels. Add a small cotton ball for the head and you are well on your way to spreading Christmas cheer. They are also a fun craft the whole family can enjoy making.
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Pine Cone
Instead of throwing out the pine cones that are littering your yard, why not turn them into fun Christmas ornaments? All you need is some pipe cleaner for antlers, some cloth for ears, and a big red button for the nose. Add some google eyes from the crafts store and you’ve got adorable Rudolph ornaments to enjoy.
7. Gingerbread Man
These ornaments are super fun to make because you can actually bake the cookies and decorate them before hanging the cute creations on your tree. Just follow any gingerbread recipe and let them dry out over night. Decorate them how you wish and then place a hook in the head so they can hang on the tree. They are super fun and create an awesome activity to get you in the holiday spirit.
6. Frosty the Snow Jars
Frosty is looking super cute this year with this Frosty ornament that’s made out of a small paint jar. All you need to do is paint the jar white and add on a cute face. Place a hook through the top of the jar which also substitutes as a hat and you are good to go. Frosty won’t have to worry about melting this year when he’s safe on your tree.
5. Bottle Cap Snowmen
This cute ornament is a perfect way to use up old bottle caps you may have lying around the house. All you need to do is spray paint them white and glue three together to create little snowmen. Next paint on the buttons and faces and you’ve got brand new ornaments for mere pennies.
4. DIY Santa
These handprint Santa ornaments are made from dried play dough and are absolutely charming. All you need to do is make some play dough and cut out circles. Make a hand print and then let it dry overnight. Now you can paint the hand prints to look like Santa’s face with a long white beard.
3. Puzzle Piece Reindeer
If you have kids then we’re sure you have random puzzle pieces collecting in your drawers that you don’t know what to do with. Well, now you do! You can easily use three of these puzzle pieces to create super cute Rudolph ornaments. Simply paint them brown and add some eyes and a nose! These literally take minutes to make and are loads of fun!
2. Starlight Stars
For this simple star ornament, all you need is construction paper and glitter, Cut the construction paper into strips and then loop them into circles. Glue the circles together in a star fashion as seen above and then sprinkle with glitter.
1. Melting Frosty
These are super wrong but also so so right! These melted Frosty ornaments are absolutely hysterical and all you need are some clear Christmas ball ornaments, some salt, peppercorns and orange felt. Fill up the ornament with some of the salt to simulate snow, then add the peppercorns for eyes and buttons and cut out a little orange felt nose.
Source: http://definevirals.com/10-adorable-christmas-tree-ornaments-kids-can-make/10/