A big group au pairs joined in a scavenger hunt at the National Zoo!
Monthly Archives: October 2013
James Cook was born today
Born in 1728, Captain Cook claimed New Zealand and Australia as parts of the British Empire while he was looking for a southern continent. He was the first recorded explorer to visit the Antarctic region. He also discovered the Hawaiian Islands where he died in a battle with the natives.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater is a great read-aloud book for children ages 5-10.
Is there a local aquarium or zoo that has penguins you can visit?
Visit http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/penguins/for penguin facts, photos and activities.
Let’s play ball!
In baseball, the World Series is the championship games of Major League Baseball in North America, played in October after the end of the regular season between the pennant winners of the American and National Leagues. The Series winner is determined through a best-of-seven playoff, meaning that the first team to win four games wins the series. The World Series has been an annual event since 1903. It is played at the baseball stadiums of the two teams in the series. Baseball is so popular that it is sometimes called the “national pastime.” The word “ballgame” in the United States almost always refers to a game of baseball, and “ballpark” to a baseball field.
Host Family Day at the farm!
See some photos from our trip to the farm!
John le Carré was born today!
John le Carré, a British spy novelist, was born in 1931. He was a spy but his stories are all made up. There are spy books for children too. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh is popular with children ages 9-12. Younger children enjoy the I Spy books of picture riddles by Jean Marzollo.
Meet a DC au pair!
“Hi, my name is Rachel, I’m 20 years old and I’m from Blackpool. I’m currently studying in Leeds after returning this summer from being an Au Pair in America. I lived in Washington DC for a year, looking after a 3 year old boy, making amazing friends for life and traveling America. It was the most incredible experience of my life and I hope to encourage some of you to take up the same opportunity!”
Classes for au pairs
We are very proud of the ongoing training we offer our au pairs which provides further educational on a wide range of topics.. Our orientation trainers take great care to research and prepare the topics presented and we get great feedback from au pairs who attend.
Au pairs can register for classes through the webinar link in the email they receive each month. Here is a schedule of upcoming classes:
Webinar Schedule (All times Eastern time zone)
October 15
8 pm Nutrition. Good eating for you and your kids
9 pm It’s Up to You. Making the most of your Au Pair year
10 pm Activities to do with Preschoolers
October 29
11 am Language Development: Birth and beyond
12 noon Tantrums are no fun for anyone. Help, my kids are fighting again!
1 pm American holidays: what they are, activities and getting through
the holiday blues
November 11
8 pm Managing play with more than one child
9 pm Repatriation
10 pm Feeling Sad or Stressed: Tips for gaining balance in your life
November 26
11 am Help! My kids are fighting again
12 noon Activities for School Age Kids
1 pm Homesickness. Making it through
December 5
8 pm Activities to do with Preschoolers
December 6
9 pm Successfully communicating with your host family
December 9
10 am Homework: Finding the right strategy for your child
December 15
9 pm Homesickness. Making it through
December 17
8 pm Tantrums are no fun for anyone
What does an au pair say about her year in the US?
Three years ago I left my everyday life in Sweden to become an Au Pair in America. I wasn’t sure what to expect other than hoping to experience American culture and to take care of children. I could never have imagined such a great year!
I lived outside Washington DC in a family with 3 children. During my year, my host family became like a second family to me. The children were not only my host children, they were like my little siblings and my host parents became good friends of mine. I made load of friends from all over the world and traveled to many places including Niagara Falls, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, Texas and the Bahamas!!
I am now doing an internship in the London Office of Au Pair in America! I am looking forward to sharing my experience with you all on Monday and answering any questions you might have! See you there, Kajsa … xox
It’s international drum month!
Here are instructions (from www.pbskids.org/zoom) for a drum experiment for school age children. Remind them that drums can be played softly too!
- First get a container that you think will make a good drum, like a metal bowl or an oatmeal container. Sylvia says that larger containers make better sounds.
- Put double-sided tape all the way around the container 2 inches from the top.
- Cut 2 pieces of shrink-wrap big enough to cover the tape on the container. Then, push it onto the tape.
- Tape the edges of the shrink-wrap with masking tape so it’s really secure.
- Now blow-dry the shrink-wrap with a blow dryer set on hot. This shrinks the plastic and makes a very tight drum.
- Be sure you don’t put the end of the blow dryer too close to the plastic, or it will melt.
- Once it’s really tight, bang your drum.
Now it’s time to experiment. Try to change the sound your drum makes. Can you make a drum with a really deep sound? Test it out with different containers.
Younger children might like to use a coffee can or oatmeal box as a drum and bang on it along with some lively music.
It’s fire safety week!
Please be sure you know all the fire safety tips, and review them with your children by visiting http://www.ou.edu/oupd/kidsafe/fire.htm.