Tag Archives: childcare

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

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Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday, dates back to the first European settlers in North America.

After much hardship, illness and hard work, the Pilgrims were finally able to celebrate a successful harvest which they shared with their Native American friends who had helped them through their difficult beginning in America.

Today this day is set aside to feast and to give thanks-something we can all share, as we too celebrate our cross-cultural friendships.

Here are some activities you can do with the children to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Click here to find crafts, coloring sheets, spelling worksheets, math puzzles,  nametags and more:-5

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/

http://www.parenting.com/gallery/thanksgiving-crafts-ideas

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/23-clever-crafts-to-keep-the-kids-busy-on-thanksgiving

AU PAIR WEBINARS

Lookout for the Au Pair Webinar Postcards coming your way…-3

Throughout this past week we have been sending out postcards to all of our au pairs. This postcard feature information about the webinars we are now offering our au pairs on a regular basis.  These webinars are organized and hosted by our Orientation Trainers. Please encourage your au pairs to participate in these helpful and informative online sessions! For topics, times and details, visit the au pair webinar site at www.aupairinamerica.com/apwebinars

AU PAIR IN AMERICA WILL BE THERE.HOW ABOUT YOU?

Au pairs will be there to entertain your kids,so please join us for a fun morning at Bluemont Park:

Kinhaven School 5K & Fun Run

KinhavenSchool

Sunday, November 24, at 9:00 AM
Bluemont Park South Shelter, behind 325 N. Manchester Street, Arlington VA
(at 4th Street North)

GROW A PIZZA GARDEN AND BUILD A SCARECROW

Grow a pizza garden: Kids can grow the fresh ingredients for pizza sauce – a couple of tomato plants, one each of basil, rosemary and oregano, plus half a dozen onions (use onion sets, which are small onion bulbs) and one green and one red pepper plant. Buy plants in spring, but don’t transplant into garden until all danger of frost is past. Help kids prepare the soil. For fun, make the bed round or wedge shaped, and edge it with orange or yellow marigolds to resemble crust. At harvest time, buy plain pizza crust or pizza dough, and help kids cook up a sauce using garden fresh ingredients. Top the pizza crust with sauce, diced peppers and the usual pepperoni and cheese. How proud they will be to have grown their own pizza sauce!

Build a scarecrow: Collect adult-sized old clothing – an old plaid shirt, a vest or jacket, a pair of jeans, old gloves (for the hands), and boots or socks (for the feet). Use straw, leaves or rags as stuffing. For a frame, use two pieces of wood, one stake tall enough for the height of clothing with 1 ½ feet extra to pound into ground. Cut the shorter stake the length of the shirt with arms stretched out. Nail the boards in a cross-like form. Stuff pillowcase for the head first and tie up the round part with string, then pull the open-ended pillow fabric over the vertical stake and secure string. For facial features, kids can use waterproof markers, or help them sew on buttons for eyes and nose. Fasten a straw hat with safety pins. Put the shirt onto the frame, do up the buttons and add the stuffing, tying the shirt’s waist so stuffing stays in place. Pin or tie ends of pants and stuff. Use a belt through the loops to attach jeans to the stake and shirt. Use safety pins if necessary. Prop leg ends into boots or stuffed socks, and pin stuffed gloves to ends of the shirt arms. Presto, you have a fun scarecrow decoration for the kids’ garden.

MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATION

0509Mother’s Day

Many countries celebrate a special day for mothers. In the U.S, it started as a day of peace; now it is more a day to celebrate and pamper Mom. Help the children make cards or gifts or plan a special meal or other surprise for Mom. Read picture books to young children about mothers such as Are You My Mother by PD Eastman, Little Bear (an I Can Read Book) by Else Holmelund Minarik, or Just Me and My Mom by Mercer Mayer. You’ll find many other choices in your local library. For ideas of activities and surprises, visit www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/mom/.

Pasta Heart Plate for Mompasta-heart-plate-craft-mom-photo-350-aformaro-485_rdax_65

Even little ones can make one of these fun plates of love for Mom! All you will need is some glue, a plate, and some noodles.

Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to create beautiful crafts and homemade cards just for Mom! Treat her to special recipes and bond with printable activities as well.

What you’ll need:

  • Colorful disposable plate
  • White craft glue
  • Dried macaroni noodles
  • Yellow and green split peas

How to make it:

  1. Use white craft glue to draw a heart shape on the plate. (See photo.)
  2. Place macaroni shapes onto the white craft glue heart. (See photo.)
  3. Use white craft glue to write “mom” in the center of the heart. Place flat side of split peas onto the craft glue, using yellow peas for both letter “m’s” and green for the “o.” (See photo.)
  4. Let dry completely.

Tips:

  1. For younger children, use dried beans instead of peas, as they are larger and easier to grasp.
  2. Check the party aisle of your grocer or discount department store for colorful disposable plates.
  3. You can paint a plain paper plate instead of using a coated plate.

flower-card-mom-craft-photo-160-aformaro-492Flower Card for Mom

A pretty flower takes center stage in this adorable Mother’s Day card that Mom is sure to love receiving.

Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to create beautiful crafts and homemade cards just for Mom! Treat her to special recipes and bond with printable activities as well.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 sheet of card stock
  • Patterned paper
  • Orange construction paper
  • Glue stick
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • White craft glue
  • ½” wide ribbon in two complementary colors
  • Pattern

How to make it:

  1. Fold card stock in half to create the greeting card. (See photo.)
  2. Print and cut out flower pattern. Trace pattern onto the back of the patterned paper. Cut the flower shape out of the patterned paper, but do not cut the center circle. (See photo.)
  3. Trace the center circle onto orange construction paper. (See photo.)
  4. Cut out construction paper circle and glue it to the center of the patterned paper flower. (See photo.)
  5. Glue the paper flower onto the center of the card.
  6. Cut ribbon into pieces to create the letter “M”. Use white craft glue to “write” the letter “M” onto the card, and then place the ribbon onto the glue. Use glue to tack the ends that overlap. (See photo.)

Tips:

  1. Look for pretty ribbons to go on sale, usually immediately following a holiday.
  2. Your favorite craft supply store often includes coupons on your local newspaper, or you can sign up to receive them online.
  3. Card stock is much sturdier, but construction paper is a suitable and less expensive option.

Kids and Food!

images-2Cooking  with my kids is one of my favorite things to do! Every member of our family enjoys food and trying new recipe is not only fun but a good way to eat a variety of things.

Encouraging kids to participate in the search and preparation will also help them try new food.Take them to a farmer’s market or simply to your grocery store and have them buy the ingredients for a yummy recipe.Below are some facts,ideas and recipes to use and get started:

According to the American Dietetic Association children should eat 6-11 servings of grains (bread, pasta,rice, cereal), 3-5 servings of vegetables (about 1/2 cup is a serving for a child), 2-4 servings of fruit (again,about 1/2 cup), 2-3 servings of meat, poultry, fish or dried beans, and 2-3 dairy servings every day.However, experts agree that children will eat when they are hungry and shouldn’t be forced to eat. Give children small portions which won’t overwhelm them, and remind them that they can always have more.

Snacks between meals should be nutritious (fruits, vegetables, cheese, bread, crackers, yogurt, or juice).Keep fruits and vegetables at children’s eye level in the refrigerator or in a bowl on the table so they will be able to take them easily when they are hungry. Blend juice, chopped fruit and yogurt in the blender for a quick and delicious fruit smoothie. Add a touch of honey to sweeten.

Involving children in meal planning, grocery shopping and food preparation can help them to become more interested in what they eat. Have them cut out pictures from grocery store flyers to make a picture shopping list, and then they can help find the items in the store. Help them to choose foods in each of the five food groups listed above. Serve food in a pretend restaurant with homemade placemats and menus, or create your own grocery store with empty boxes or cans (if you plan on using cans, open from the bottom and then check for sharp edges).

Many children need to eat more often than three times per day. If a child becomes cranky or irritable, it may be time for a snack. Sugary foods make many children excitable.

Food safety:
• to avoid choking, never offer food unless the child is sitting upright.
• toddlers are just learning to chew – celery, carrots, grapes, apples, and hot dogs must all be cut up,peanut butter should be spread thinly on bread or a cracker, and children under four should not eat
raisins, hard candy, nuts or popcorn, as they are all easy to choke on.
• food storage customs in the United States may be different from those in other countries. Generally,eggs, dairy products and all meats should never be left at room temperature. If meat is frozen, it should be defrosted in the refrigerator or in the microwave, not on the counter. All cutting boards and knives should be well washed after preparing chicken. Fruit will ripen at room temperature, but if it is already ripe, it will keep better in the refrigerator. The one exception is bananas – the refrigerator will turn them black.
• before opening a can, rinse the lid so the dirt from the outside of the can doesn’t get into the food.

Remember, adults should set a good example with the food they eat, and where and how they eat it.

Here are a few snack recipes to try with your kids:

Banana,berry and buttermilk popsicles (from the Natural Pantry at Wholeliving.com)

Puree 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk, 1 banana, 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries, and 1/4 cup honey or agave syrup in a blender until smooth. Pour mixture into Popsicle molds and freeze. Makes 10 pops ( 75 calories each).

Hummus(my daughter’s favorite recipe ,easy to make from the William Sonoma Kid’s cookbook)

Hummus is a dip that is made from chickpeas, which are also known as garbanzo beans.

Ingredients:

  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas (garbanzo beans),
    rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 rounds pita bread
  • 1/2 pound baby carrots

Directions:

Slice the garlic
Be sure an adult is nearby to help.

Put the garlic clove on a cutting board. Place a metal spatula over the garlic clove and press down hard with the heel of your palm to loosen the papery skin. Peel off the skin and throw it away. Use a sharp knife to cut the garlic into 4 or 5 slices.

Blend the ingredients
Put the garlic, chickpeas, salt and water in a blender container. Blend for 1 minute. Turn off the blender and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Replace the lid and blend again until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Add the tahini, olive oil and lemon juice and blend for another minute to mix.

Scrape into a bowl
Using the rubber spatula, scrape the hummus into a serving bowl. If you are not serving it immediately, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it.

Serve the dip
Place the pita bread rounds on the cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut each round into 8 triangles.

Trim the stringy ends from the carrots. You can leave on the green tops, if you want, because they make a good handle.

Put the bowl of hummus on a large plate. Surround it with the pita triangles and baby carrots for dipping. Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Fun Food, by Stephanie Rosenbaum (Simon & Schuster, 2006).

More kid and family healthy – friendly recipe at :

images

BON APPETIT!

Cherry Blossom Festival and Kite Festival

Cherry Blossom Festival

IMG_0016The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual two-week event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan.

Here are some of the highlights:
Family Day & Opening Ceremony – Saturday, March 27, 2010
National Building Museum
401 F Street, NW
Metro Judiciary Square, Red Line
Family Day – 10am-3:30 pm
Opening Ceremony – 4-5:30pm

Smithsonian Kite Festival

Smithsonian Kite Festival

Smithsonian Kite Festival – Saturday, March 27, 2010
Washington Monument Grounds
10 am-4 pm
Kite Festival Official Website

Fireworks Display – Saturday, April 3, 2010
Southwest Waterfront
Music and activities begin at 5 pm
Fireworks at 8:30 pm

Cherry Blossom Parade – Saturday, April 10, 2010
Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW
10 am- 12 noon

Helpful links:
Cherry Blossom Festival Website
National Park Service Bloom Watch
Metro Website
(use the trip planner feature on this website to find the metro options, taking metro is much better than driving for the festival events)

Northern Virginia Cultural Fair

This past Sunday,the Northern Virginia clusters came together and hosted a Cultural fair for their families,friends and au pairs .The guests had a chance to travel the world while checking out the beautiful displays and tasting the food prepared by our wonderful and dedicated au pairs.

Despite having a beautiful day outside,hundred of people came through and enjoyed the Cultural Fair!

The Fair was held at the Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale,VA.

Here are a few glimpses of what our au pairs had to share :

Au pairs from South Africa,New Zealand and Australia enjoying each other's company!

Au pairs from South Africa,New Zealand and Australia enjoying each other's company!

Au pairs from Mexico showing their colorful display!

Au pairs from Mexico showing their colorful display!

Two Bolivian au pairs in their folkloric dance costumes

Two Bolivian au pairs in their folkloric dance costumes

Brazilian au pairs taking a break !They both worked hard preparing food and arts and crafts activities for the kids.

Brazilian au pairs taking a break !They both worked hard preparing food and arts and crafts activities for the kids.