We closed out the summer with an amazingly warm global group at the cold beach. Those au pairs who came out were showered in love and the kids got to truly meet the world and the best representatives. Countries included those from Peru, Panama, Brazil, China, Sweden, Austria and Colombia. And we even tried our hand at making the 200 year old tradition of German kinder cones – Schultute. They spent time talking with our American youth about their countries, their handicrafts, their sports and their spirit. It’s au pairs like these that make the program magic to be a part of and we are lucky to witness all they do year after year.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to dinosaurs can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Dinosaurspinboard.
Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings and be sure to take all social distancing precautions.
Toys – Many kids have dinosaur toys already. See what your kids have and think of fun, new ways you can play with these toys with them. Imagine taking a plastic dinosaur and making footprints in play dough to form your own fossils.
Webcam – The Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland offers a webcam where you can watch paleontologists remove rock from around fossils.
Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about dinosaurs and fossils. Here are a few to get you started.
Movies – Here are some movies that fit the dinosaur theme.
Dinosaur
Dinosaur Island
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Land Before Time
Lego Jurassic World
The Good Dinosaur
Walking with Dinosaurs
We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story
For older kids:
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jurassic Park (which is rated PG-13)
Books – Check your kids’ bookshelf for books on dinosaurs. You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube.
The au pairs who came out on a cold, rainy night were warm and welcoming. They bonded over foosball and ping pong and too much ice cream with chocolate sauce. We did a touch of line dancing, played our Spotify tunes of the summer and got to chat just a little bit more. Thanks to all who brought some shoes for donating to the J-1 Day sponsored by the Department of State.
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.
Friday nights with your friends from around the globe sometimes look like this! For some it was their first bowl and for everyone it was an opportunity to come together and chill after a long week with their American kids.
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!
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.
We strolled through the Bellevue Botanical gardens again for Garden Lights, shared what is happening in the end of the year in our own countries and ended with an anonymous white elephant gift exchange. Fun to have everyone in tow! Peace on earth.
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/
