This cluster meeting is quiet and calm. It’s a time for us to gather and just be. We got our craft on at Paint the Town and made some tiles, ornaments and pottery and it was good. https://www.paintthetown.studio
It was a spooky pre-Halloween walk around Pioneer Square, hearing the history of our new found home with newfound friends. Especially interesting was the story of Shelley‘s Leg, the history behind the purple glass, and the unfortunate glue fire that started at all. Boo! Thanks to our friends at https://www.beneath-the-streets.com/
The APIA peace keepers in our corner of the globe gathered up this past Sunday. We had 8 countries representing for our culture fair and the kids “traveled the world” to meet the au pairs and hear more about their countries. The weather kept dry and we had sunshine in our hearts, playing scavenger bingo, doing a spirited water balloon toss and getting to know one another. Thanks to our amazing au pairs and families who make the program all it is here in WA!
What fun it was to meet in Gasworks Park, get to know one another better with speed dating questions and decorate (and sign one another’s) trucker hats.
We met up in Arbor Heights Swim Club to celebrate the power of cross cultural exchanges and walking a day in someone else’s shoes. Shoes were donated, ice cream sundae’s made, high jumps crushed, volleyballs volleyed and swim quizzes guessed.
Here is more on the Exchange Day celebrated across the US and sponsored by the US government to help keep the world safe and secure: https://alliance-exchange.org/alliance-commentary/celebrating-an-american-superpower-exchange-day-2025/
Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme will be Cars & Trucks.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to all kinds of vehicles can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Cars & Trucks pinboard.
Field Trips can be an excellent way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings. Here are a few field trips that go with this theme:
Virtual Field Trips
Videos – Mighty Machines & Amazing Big Trucks are kid-friendly video channels showing machinery and big trucks in action. Look for fun videos on YouTube about cars and trucks.
Movies – Here are some movies that fit the cars and trucks theme.
Books – Check your kids’ bookshelf for books on cars & trucks. You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube. Cool Cars , Little Blue Truck, The Garbage Trucks Are Coming Today, and With Any Luck, I’ll Drive a Truck are a few fun ones to get you started.
Image: funlearningforkids.com
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:
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.
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.
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
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:
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!
Nearly 75 au pairs from around the globe now living in the Greater Seattle area came together to witness another Mariner’s victory. Our game had a home run, a salmon race, fly balls and sunshine! It was great to gather the areas Community Counselors and their clusters to kick off summer together. New friends were made and an American pastime experienced!
A group of au pairs spent their hard earned free time on a weekend to learn life-saving skills they will carry with them forever and wherever. Together with our Red Cross partnership, APIA Au pairs received hands on instruction in CPR, wound care, and emergency preparedness. So proud of those who earned the certificate and happy Au Pair in America can provide these scholarships to hard-working and dedicated au pairs. The beat of “Pink Pony Club” takes on all new and important meaning for this amazing group.
