It is never too early to start reading to children. Children of all ages enjoy having stories read to them. Reading, cuddling up on a couch or reading before a child takes a nap or goes to sleep at night, is comforting for the child. This special time together builds a bond, take the time to read to the children in your life.
Read slowly, this gives children time to think about what you are reading.
Change your voice for different characters, or read in a softer voice from some characters, louder for others. A sing song voice is fun for young children.
Share a picture book with a child and have them tell you a story from the pictures!
Read every day!
Children have favorites, so don’t worry if they want the same story every day, but add a few others so they can develop new favorites.
Talk about the story, ask the children what was their favorite part. Let them share the story back to you or their parents!
Do arts and crafts about the story. Have them draw you a picture about the story.
If the children are old enough to read themselves, have them read you a story. Alternate, you read, they read. This will encourage them to read more!
Have fun, read stories about subjects you and the children enjoy!
Celebrate National Bubble Day! Kids and adults of all ages enjoy the colors, shapes and possibilities of bubbles.
Create a beautiful portrait or just make homemade bubbles for an afternoon of fun and adventure.
Bubble Burst Paintings
Blowing bubbles never seems to lose its charm for little kids, but here’s a colorful way to make a good thing even better. To start, stir 2 tablespoons of tempera paint or 15 drops of food coloring into a 1/2-cup of bubble solution. Then tape a large piece of paper to a fence or between two trees and have your child blow the bubbles against it. The end result will likely be more about the process than the final product, but he’ll love watching the bubbles hit the paper and burst into vibrant circles and splatters.
Homemade Bubble Recipe
This recipe is a winner. It’s easy to mix up–and inexpensive to boot. Simply stir together 6 parts water, 2 parts Joy dishwashing liquid (this brand works the best), and 3/4 part corn syrup. Store in a covered container.
Have your kids try experimenting with a variety of homemade bubble wands: pipe cleaners bent into interesting shapes, cookie cutters, yogurt lids with the centers cut out, and so on. For a giant bubblemaker, cut off the top and bottom of a large metal can with a can opener and hammer the inside edges until they are smooth (a parent’s job). Dip either end in the solution and wave through the air.
A is for Art – try drawing, painting or gluing B is for Baking – bake a dessert together for dinner C is for Clay – Use non-hardening clay or play dough to shape and mold D is for Dance – put on a lively tape E is for Exercise – be sure to get some everyday F is for Friends – invite some over G is for Greenhouse – find a local greenhouse to visit to enjoy the sights and smells H is for House – make a playhouse from a large appliance box I is for Ice skating – take the children to a local rink J is for Jigsaw puzzle – be sure to pick one that isn’t too difficult K is for Kitchen science – try a safe experiment L is for Library – borrow some new books M is for Movie – make one with a video camera, or watch one N is for Necklace – make one out of cereal or macaroni O is for Origami – learn to make simple paper creations P is for Puppets – socks make easy and fun puppets – put on a show! Q is for Quiet Time – everyone needs some of this R is for Reading aloud – choose a good book and a comfortable place to sit S is for Seeds and Suet – put out food for the birds and watch them eat T is for Tent – make one from old blankets and chairs U is for Unplugged – do a day with no TV V is for Variety – try something new everyday W is for Walk – take one in any weather (be sure to dress appropriately) X is for Xylophone – make your own with glasses, water and a metal spoon Y is for Year – make a calendar or scrapbook to remember the year Z is for Zoo – visit the animals
John Philip Sousa was born in 1854 and is famous for composing over 100 marches – classic American patriotic music. Make a marching band with the children (you might need to invite some friends) and have a parade. Children love to make noise, so you don’t need fancy instruments. Try two pot lids as cymbals, a stick and an empty cardboard or plastic container as a drum. Sandpaper rubbed together makes a great noise too! Homemade flags or paper hats would dress up your parade even more.
This 860-acre natural area including the 160-acre reservoir, is a haven for fishing, boating canoeing, hiking and picnicking. It also serves the residents of Fredericksburg and parts of Spotsylvania County with drinking water.
You may bring your own boat (ELECTRIC MOTORS ONLY) to launch on the lake, or fish from the banks. Fee charged for fishing and boat launching. No swimming, horseback riding, biking of any kind, or all-terrain vehicles permitted.
The park has jon boats and canoes available for rental, picnic grills and tables, and over 4 miles of hiking trails.
Motts Reservoir is OPEN Thursdays – Mondays April 1 – October 31 from 7:00am – 7:00pm; the Reservoir is CLOSED on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
If the weather is questionable, call before coming (540) 786-8989.
As a cost saving measure, when the weather is bad we reserve the right to close the reservoir early.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to art can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Art Experiencespinboard.
Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings and be sure to take all social distancing precautions. Some museums are requiring advanced tickets or have reduced hours due to the pandemic.
Art Museums
Paint Your Own Pottery Studio
Clay and Ceramics Studio
Online Art Fun – Here is a great website with lots of art activities including ones for older kids.
Webcams – You can do a google search for art websites with webcams. Here are a few to get you started:
Mix together 1/2 cup of plaster and 1/4 cup water in a clean plastic container (or follow package directions).
Cover a seashell with petroleum jelly (Vaseline). When the plaster begins to set (thicken and harden slightly), press the shell into the plaster.
Let it dry overnight and then remove the shell (it should slide out easily).
Use the plaster mold to make clay fossils.
You can also use plaster to preserve a child’s hand or footprint. The plaster washes off skin easily with warm water, but make sure you run lots of water down the drain!
Handprints make wonderful gifts for parents and grandparents.
This week’s Camp Au Pair theme Summer Olympics. The 2021 Summer Olympics are taking place in Tokyo, Japan, July 23-Aug 8.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to the Summer Olympics can be found here on the Camp Au Pair Summer Olympicspinboard.
Videos – On YouTube you can find many great videos of about the Olympics.
Books – Stop by your local library and look for books about the Olympics.
Some good ones include: Olympig!, G is for Gold Medal: An Olympic Alphabet, How to Train with a T-Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals, Wilma Unlimited, America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, Way to Go Alex!, Touch the Sky, Pele: King of Soccer, A Picture Book of Jesse Owens & Babar’s Celestville Games.
You may also find some of these books read aloud on YouTube.
Fun Fact: The Olympic symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions, used alone, in one or in five different colors, which are, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green and red. The Olympic symbol (the Olympic rings) expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.
This week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Science (STEM). This includes science, technology, engineering and math.
Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to all things science, technology, engineering and math can be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Science (STEM) pinboard.
Field Trips can be a great way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings and be sure to take all social distancing precautions. Here are a few places to go, that fit this theme:
Videos – On YouTube you can find many great videos of with science experiments to do with kids.
The Magic School Bus is a cartoon series with episodes on lots of great science topics. You can find some episodes on YouTube and the full series on Paramount Plus.
Movies – The Lego Movie, Big Hero 6, Wall-E and Hidden Figures all fit the STEM theme.
Webcams – You can do a google search for science websites with webcams. Here is a collection of 22 science webcams from around the world.
Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on science, technology, engineering and math.
