Easter is the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and held (in the Western Church) between March 21st and April 25th, on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox.
In America, many families choose to decorate eggs and later hide on their yard to send the kids on an Easter Egg Hunt.
Visit the Au Pair in America Spring Holidays board for some great crafts and activity ideas to share with your kids or host kids.
“Game plan” means a strategy for how you are going to accomplish something. In the case of keeping kids from getting bored and/or into trouble, the best way to prevent it is to keep them busy with safe, fun activities. When there are days home from school, letting kids sit around watching TV or play video games is not the best use of their time. Providing fun alternatives will make it much easier to pull them away from the screen.
You need to make a plan of what you will do with them each day and prepare for that. Planning is very important. You don’t want to tell them you are going some place fun, only to arrive there and see they are not open that day or you needed to bring something and you don’t have it.
If your plan includes a craft or cooking project, make sure you have:
all the ingredients/supplies
recipe/directions
If your plan includes an outing to someplace fun, figure out:
How will you get there?
When you should leave?
How much it will cost?
What will you do for lunch?
Use some of these online resources to find activities and recipes:
As the days get longer, it’s finally time to head outside and enjoy the sunshine. Before dashing off to the playground, review these important tips to help you do your job safely and carefully. Remember, if you are on duty, the safety and well-being of the children is your job.
Supervision
Whether you are at the street or the backyard, or in the playroom, stay with the children at all times!
If you have a middle-schooler, who is able to play outside with friends, you still need to know where he/she is and whether an adult is present. Make plans for when he/she will call you, where you can find him/her, and what time you expect him/her home.
Children should never talk to strangers or go near a stranger’s car. They should not accept money, candy or gifts from strangers and never take a ride from a stranger.
Street Safety
Look both ways before crossing the street.
Discuss traffic lights – Green means go, Yellow means wait, Red means stop.
Never chase a ball into the street.
Streets are for cars – children should play in a yard, not the street.
Learn street signs and what they mean (STOP sign, CROSSWALK, etc.).
Never play behind cars that are parked in the driveway.
The Charitable Irish Society of Boston organized the first observance of Saint Patrick’s Day in the United States in 1737. The tradition of celebrating this day continued to grow with the influx of Irish immigrants to the United States.
St. Patrick’s Day, on March 17, remembers one of Ireland’s patron saints, St Patrick. It largely celebrates Irish-American culture in the United States but many non – Irish descendants enjoy the celebrations too . Celebrations include Irish themed parties, drinks and food. Many people get into the spirit by dressing in green clothing and eating green colored food. Irish clubs and pubs often hold parties.
St Patrick’s Day is not a federal holiday in the United States. Schools, businesses and organizations are open as usual. Public transport systems run on their regular schedules. The parades may be on or around March 17, so it is a good idea to check local sources for the exact location, date and time. Many parades are held throughout the country to celebrate the holiday. New York City has become the largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade in the world, outside Ireland. Thousands participate in the parade, including bands, firefighters, military and police groups, county associations, emigrant societies, and social and cultural clubs and was watched by close to 2 million spectators lining the streets. The parade marches up 5th Avenue in Manhattan and is always led by the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment. New York politicians – or those running for office – are always found prominently marching in the parade.
The most common St Patrick’s Day symbol is the shamrock. The shamrock is the leaf of the clover plant and a symbol of the Holy Trinity.
International Women’s Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 every year.
In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women for women’s economic, political, and social achievements. Started as a Social political event, the holiday blended the culture of many countries, primarily in Europe, especially those in the Soviet Bloc. In some regions, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for people to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. In other regions, however, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.
Purple ribbons are commonly worn on International Women’s Day as a symbol of support for women’s rights and gender equality.
Meaning of the Purple Ribbon
Justice – the fight for equal rights and opportunities for women
Dignity – recognizing women’s contributions to society
Solidarity & empowerment – showing support for women and girls everywhere
Why purple?
Purple became associated with the women’s rights movement in 1908, when British suffragettes used purple, green, and white as their movement’s colors. Purple represented justice and dignity, and it eventually became the most recognized color of International Women’s Day.
During Daylight Saving Time, clocks are turned forward one hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Today, approximately 70 countries worldwide utilize Daylight Saving Time, in at least some portion of the country. The U.S. started observing it in 1918, so it celebrates it’s 100th birthday, this year.
In March, we move the clock forward one hour, losing an hour of sleep. In November, we move the clock back one hour, regaining that extra hour of sleep.
An easy way to remember it is: Spring forward, Fall back.
Before you go to bed on March 7th, be sure to set the clocks forward one hour!
Valentine’s day is celebrated in the United States every year on February 14th. There are many stories and legends behind who the real St. Valentine was, but most scholars agree that he was a martyr who was killed by Roman soldiers because he was marrying people in secret at a time when marriage was outlawed. Later in the Middle Ages, a great writer named Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem as a present to King Richard II, who was going to be married soon. In it, he mentioned St. Valentine, and over time, the idea of Valentine’s Day became associated with the idea of love.
During the Victorian times (in the 1800s), Valentine’s Day became extremely popular! Men and women spent a lot of time making beautiful Valentine’s cards with ribbon, fancy paper and even lace. In those days, people were very reserved and they did not often say what they were feeling. Valentine’s day gave them a way to express their feelings to someone they were in love with anonymously. The sender would remain a mystery until they could speak more freely.
In the last few decades, Valentine’s day has changed a lot! Today we still exchange cards, but many people buy ready-made cards instead. We also give flowers or chocolates as a gift to remind people of our friendship and love for them. Most Valentine’s gifts and cards make use of the colors red and pink, and are decorated with images of hearts or roses. Another common symbol of love on this day is Cupid, the Roman god of love. He is usually shown as a little angel with a bow and arrow. According to legend, anyone who is struck by his arrows will fall in love.
Here are some links with ideas about how you can celebrate and have fun with the children you care for over the next couple of weeks!
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Quote
Martin Luther King Jr. was the most important voice of the American civil rights movement, which worked for equal rights for all. He was famous for using nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice. He also did all he could to make people realize that “all men are created equal.” Because of his great work, in 1964 King received the Nobel Peace Prize — the youngest person ever to receive this high honor. King was also a Baptist minister. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was just 39 years old. His birthday is now observed as a national holiday on the third Monday in January. Congressman John Conyers first introduced legislation for a commemorative holiday four days after King was assassinated in 1968. Petitions endorsing the holiday containing six million names were submitted to Congress. Public pressure for the holiday mounted during the 1982 and 1983 civil rights marches in Washington. Congress passed the holiday legislation in 1983, which was then signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.
If you want to visit the MLK Memorial, it’s located in downtown Washington D.C. along the Tidal Basin.
Here are some links about the history of this holiday including a biography of Dr. King, a quiz for kids and a junior crossword. Maybe you can do something special with the kids to acknowledge the day.
Here are some Fire Safety Tips from http://www.usfa.fema.gov/
Control Kids’ Access to Fire
Keep all matches and lighters out of the hands of children. If possible, keep these sources of fire in locked drawers. Consider buying only “child-proof” lighters—but be aware that no product is completely child-proof.
Children as young as two years old can strike matches and start fires.
Never leave children unattended near operating stoves or burning candles, even for a short time.
Teach children not to pick up matches or lighters they may find. Instead, they should tell an adult immediately.
Fire Safety at Home
Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home, especially near sleeping areas.
Smoke alarms should be kept clean of dust by regularly vacuuming over and around them.
Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year. And replace the entire unit after ten years of service, or as the manufacturer recommends.
Families should plan and practice two escape routes from each room of their home.
It is important to know when schools close or have delayed openings because of weather or other emergencies. You may sign up to receive alerts via email, texts and other messages. To register, please check the link below for Fairfax County Public Schools. If your children go to a private school, check with your host family to find out if they follow the county closings or not.
