Monthly Archives: June 2014

See America!

Awesome photos from a Trek America trekker!

If you’re wondering where to go and what to do and see whilst in the USA as an au pair,

remember to check out Trek America. Join a small, fun group on a US adventure and

experience the highlights of the USA like Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite

and more… our au pairs also receive a 20% discount so make sure you provide

your au pair details when booking your trip!

See www.trekamerica.com/aupairinamerica.com for more info ‪


What’s on your summer bucket list?

The term “bucket list” was popularized in the 2007 Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie. The idea is to make a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” (which is an idiom referring to death.) Even though that sounds kind of morbid, the idea has taken off as something much more positive and people create bucket lists to log the things they want to do at some point in their life.

With that said, a Summer Bucket list is a list of things to do before this summer ends.

Click here to print your own summer bucket list

Get lots of ideas to put on your list on our APIA Summer Fun Pinterest Board.

What does an au pair cost?

Here is an NBC news article about the average cost of daycare for two children in different parts of the USA. How does the cost of an au pair compare? An au pair is less expensive than any of the costs on this image. And an au pair costs the same amount if she cares for two, three, four, or five or more children.

Child care in the U.S.

Here is the link to the original article:

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/infographic-high-cost-child-care-u-s-n136316

Welcome summer!

First Day of Summer!

Long hot days make for children who need some quiet time. Relax and unwind at the end of the day with some summertime reading. Here are some books to choose from:

Picture books to read aloud:

  • Grandma Summer by Harley Jessup
    Initially grumpy about his trip with Grandma to her beach cottage, Ben slowly comes around as he falls under the spell of the old house, the seashore, and his grandmother.
  • Albie the Lifeguard by Louise Borden, illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles
    Albie gains the courage to go swimming at the town pool one summer.
  • Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping by Peggy Parish, illustrated by Lynn Sweat
    Amelia Bedelia, who takes everything literally, has never been camping before, and she’s trying her best to do exactly as she’s told. Her efforts make for a very funny book.

For beginning readers or to read aloud:

  • The Camp Knock Knock Mystery by Betsy Duffey, illustrated by Fiona Dunbar
    Crow and Willie have a not-entirely-friendly competition at camp over who tells the best knock-knock jokes. Willie spends the week looking for his joke book, which Crow has hidden.
  • Cool Ali by Nancy Poydar
    One hot summer day, Ali takes her sidewalk chalk and draws the things that everyone needs – a little lake for Mrs. Frye to dip her toes into, a beach umbrella, the North Wind. But what will happen when a summer storm comes?
  • Last One in Is a Rotten Egg by Leonard P. Kessler
    Freddy can’t swim in the deep water. When some big kids throw him into the pool, his friends and mother encourage him to ask the lifeguard for lessons. Freddy learns how to float, breathe, and blow bubbles in the water, and how to move his arms and legs, until he can jump into the deep water with his friends.
  • Sally Goes to the Mountains by Stephen Huneck
    Sally goes for a ride to the mountains, where there will be all kinds of new friends to meet: bears, moose, rabbits, and skunks! There will be berries to pick, sticks to fetch, and a lake to swim in. Sally can hardly wait!
  • The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson, illustrated by Andrea Shine
    A young girl tells how every year she and her father plant a garden together, and every year he tells her the story of the summer he was 10 when he led his mates in vandalizing the garden of his lonely, old Italian neighbor but later righted the wrong.
  • Artwork from amyvolk.com

Celebrate the Statue of Liberty today!

Statue of Liberty 7.jpg

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France in 1885 to recognize the French-American

cooperation during the American Revolution (War of Independence against Britain in 1776).

It stands 93 meters (305 feet) high in New York Harbor.

The seven rays on her crown represent the seven continents and seven seas of the world.

Look at a map with the children and find the seven continents and the seven seas.

Why do you think New York Harbor was chosen for the statue?

Click here for more history of the statue.

Do you and the children know where their families lived before they moved to the United States?

Ask your host parents to tell you about their family history. Explore the history with the children.

Make a family tree or find a book about the country where their family once lived.

Celebrate Flag Day!

Flying the American flag is more popular than ever. It is a symbol of the country’s values and traditions. The design has particular significance. Its 13 red and white stripes represent the original colonies, and the 50 stars stand for the states. You might also want to use this day to teach the children about your own flag. You can find a printout of the American flag and flags of many other countries in the Kids Culture Corner:www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/kids/culture_corner/.

Artwork from bestforpuzzles.com