Our next Camp Au Pair theme is Nature Exploration.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Nature Exploration pinboard.Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. You can start observing nature at any local park or in your own backyard. If you want to take it a step further, Below is a list of other local places to go explore nature. Get permission from your host parents before any outings and check websites before you go for hours and information.
Safety note: When coming inside after you have been outside exploring nature, it’s always a good idea to check the children and yourself for ticks. For more information, take a look at this post.
Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about nature.
Books – Check your bookshelves and/or stop by your local library and look for books on nature. You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube. Here are a few to get you started.
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
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.
If your kids are a little older, check out 10 Crazy Facts About Sea Turtles (below).
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
We were blessed with a beautiful fall evening at the pumpkin patch and plenty of activities from hay rides to hay bale mazes. I have to say there’s nothing cuter than our little ones picking out pumpkins that are twice their size! Thanks to everyone that came out and shared in the fun!
With blankets in hand and picnic baskets full of snacks, we joined the crowd at Dolores Park. Everyone cheered along with the 1985 Back to the Future showing! It was great getting to introduce the Au Pairs to Marty and Doc Brown, and of course the DeLorean time traveling machine. Their lives are definitely more complete now that they’ve seen this American comic science fiction favorite. It was a wonderful fall evening with wonderful company!
After a full day of training, all the Au Pairs walked away informed and ready to handle any emergency situation! Our Red Cross Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED was well received as we had Au Pairs travel in from North and South of the city to join in the fun. It was really impressive watching the young ladies in action, we should feel confident that our kiddos are in good hands!
What we did not know was that it was going to be 90 degrees outside, but that did not slow down these girls! We had a wonderful time scouting out local landmarks and San Francisco favorites as we raced against the clock to complete as many challenges as possible on our scavenger hunt. From pics of sourdough bread to hiking to the top of Buena Vista Park, there was never a dull moment.
Well, we had some good laughs at our cluster event this month as the golf balls went flying in every direction and some made it into the holes. All the Au Pairs gathered at Urban Putt, over in the Mission District, this is an indoor miniature golf course set in an old Victorian building with the holes built around San Francisco Landmarks. It was a wonderful way to kick off the summer!
We gathered together on a beautiful, chilly evening to enjoy Off the Grid Twilight in the Presidio. It was easy to stay warm with good company, good food, and live music! The location provides amazing views of the bay and plenty of food trucks to peruse. It’s always such a joy to connect with each other and welcome the new Au Pair arrivals into our cluster.
Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. You can start observing nature at any local park or in your own backyard. If you want to take it a step further, Below is a list of other local places to go explore nature. Get permission from your host parents before any outings and check websites before you go for hours and information.
Safety note: When coming inside after you have been outside exploring nature, it’s always a good idea to check the children and yourself for ticks. For more information, take a look at this post.
