Our cluster meeting last night was so much fun!
To celebrate the holidays each au pair brought a dish that reminded them of home. Food always helps bring people together and often helps with homesickness too. After sharing some wonderful dish we all played a really fun game: everyone had to hold a plate on their head and draw specific items blindly (a tree, a fireplace next to the tree, stockings on the fireplace, ornaments, gifts, etc). See a picture of the 3 winners.
Driving – Traffic tends to be heavier around the Holidays. Leave earlier than normal and take your time. Remember, au pairs can be asked to pay up to $500 of the deductible for an accident.
Photo: epSos .de
Click here for more safety tips
Safe Toys and Gifts Month – Before school vacation starts, take some time to check toys for broken parts, sharp edges and loose pieces that could be swallowed by very young children. If you are choosing a holiday gift for children you care for, make sure any toy is age appropriate and cannot harm the child.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar.
In Hebrew, the word “hanukkah” means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E. Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish people’s successful rebellion against the Greeks in the Maccabean War in 162 BCE. A ritual re-dedication of the Temple occurred after the Jewish people’s victory. It is believed that there was only enough oil to keep the lamps burning for one day but the small bottle of oil miraculously lasted for eight days. Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is referred as the Feast of Lights or Festival of Lights for this reason.
For fun and educational activities for children go to http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/hanukkah/
Directions to play the Dreidel game. Play for Hershey kisses, a great way to have fun with the kids when they are home from school! http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/hanukkah/dreidel-game.html
Photo Robert Couse-Baker (Flickr)
Don’t forget to give your counselor your education proof.For more information about education visit the Au Pair in America website: http://www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/life_in_the_us/education.asp
Photo: Sean MacEntee
Check with your host parents before you buy a child a toy that requires close supervision – electrically operated toys, shooting toys and games, chemistry sets, and the like. Remember, too, that younger children may have access to toys intended for older children once the toy has been brought into the home.
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving and is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many people have the day off, which increases the number of potential shoppers. Merchants and the media use the term Black Friday to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black i.e., turning a profit for the year. Sales are everywhere–set your alarm and hit the stores before the sun comes up to get an authentic experience this unique day!
Photo: 401(k)2012 on Flickr
Thanksgiving dates back to the first European settlers in North America. After hardship, illness and hard work the Pilgrims celebrated a successful harvest that they shared with their Native American friends. This national holiday is a day to feast and give thanks.
Photo: Benjamin Chun
Click here for some fun craft ideas!
Here are some activities you can do with the children to celebrate Thanksgiving. Click on the picture or any of the links below to find crafts, coloring sheets, spelling worksheets, math puzzles, nametags and more.
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
Click here for more information on FirstPalette.com
This is a fun art project for children ages 7 and up. You need paper, crayons (make sure you have a black one), and a paper clip. Take one crayon and rub it over a section of the paper. Use the flat side of the crayon and rub hard. Take another color and do the same to another part of the paper. Cover the entire paper with different colors of crayon. Now, take the black crayon and color over all the other colors until the whole paper is black. With a paper clip or coin, draw a picture by scratching through the black crayon. The other colors will show through where the drawing is scratched.
