Tag Archives: au pair

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

Spring Marathon Sponsoring and the St Jude’s Gala Event

APIA was proud to sponsor Antonia from Germany as she ran in this half marathon in Seward Park. (Along with her family and other au pairs.)  https://www.seattlecherryblossomrun.com/. Way to go, Antonia!

And huge thanks to Dain from Korea and Ana from Mexico for volunteering for the St Jude’s Songwriter’s Gala which raised over $1.3 million for the cause (our auction basket helped a little too).  They helped check in some VIPs in WA, including one of our host mom’s who is on the Board of the organization.  Thanks to all for being a part of something bigger than any one of us.

Stretching Our Minds, Bodies and Spirits – Yoga in a Cathedral – March 2026

St Mark’s is one of Seattle’s oldest and most beautiful cathedrals in the city and the community (members and non members alike) gather weekly for a yoga practice and sound bath to unite the spirits and senses and share in a calm meditation. The practice is non-denominational and yoga is healthy for most bodies. Our au pairs enjoyed the sights and the sounds at St Marks and felt gratitude for our global community this month. Together we are stronger!

For the Love of the Game and the Girl – Feb 2026

Au pairs gathered up – nearly 100 of us – and cheered on our favorite college team, the UW Huskies. We didn’t beat Illinois, but we had spirit and a very tight loss. New friends were made, chicken sandwiches won, half time safety quizzes quizzed and cheers cheered. Check out some of these shots from the game full of shots.

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Empowerment is empowering – Jan 2026

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We are going on four years of our partnership with the Bellevue Police Department and Officer Craig’s innovative style of protecting and serving the community with his self defense community classes. This is the only police department in the world to offer such classes. Au Pairs learned how to not get involved with someone who is not making good choices by using three “C”s – Communication, Confidence and Crazy. Use your outstretched arms to indicate that you do not want that person to approach you. Say “back up” very loudly in a clear voice. And then use a “crazy” tone if needed to stop the perpetrator from thinking you will go quietly and easily with what they want. Au pairs learned moves to leverage the weight of someone off of them if they held a weapon. Saying “you don’t need the knife, I will do what you say” could help the situation. It was an informative and educational day practicing our power.

Witches and Warlocks and Just Us in the Underground – Oct 2025

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/

APIA Community Day and Culture Fair – with over 100 of our Closest Friends – Sept 2025

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!