Tag Archives: au pair

Camp Au Pair – Dinosaurs

Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Dinosaurs.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games related to dinosaurs can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Dinosaurs 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.

Field Trip Ideas:

  • Children’s museum
  • Natural history museum
  • Parks with fossil hunting programs
  • Play spaces with dinosaur areas
  • Science centers

Virtual Field Trips:

Toys – Many kids have dinosaur toys already. See what your kids have and think of fun, new ways you can play with these toys with them. Imagine taking a plastic dinosaur and making footprints in play dough to form your own fossils.

Webcam – The Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland offers a webcam where you can watch paleontologists remove rock from around fossils.

Videos – Look for fun videos on YouTube about dinosaurs and fossils. Here are a few to get you started.

Movies – Here are some movies that fit the dinosaur theme.

  • Dinosaur
  • Dinosaur Island
  • Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
  • Land Before Time
  • Lego Jurassic World
  • The Good Dinosaur
  • Walking with Dinosaurs
  • We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story

For older kids:

  • Journey to the Center of the Earth
  • Jurassic Park (which is rated PG-13)

Books – Check your kids’ bookshelf for books on dinosaurs. You can also find many read aloud book videos on YouTube.

Photo: krojotak.com

Don’t forget the sunscreen!

 

Americans take suncare for children VERY seriously.  Take time to learn these sun safety tips and prevent sunburn.

APPLY SUNSCREEN DAILY. Kids will fuss when you try to apply sunscreen.  Remember, you are the adult in charge and responsbile for their well being.   Apply sunscreen daily.

REMEMBER EASY-TO-MISS SPOTS. The most vulnerable parts of the body are often the ones that get overlooked when applying sunscreen. To make sure your kids are covered, teach them “BEENS.” This useful acronym stands for Back of knees, Ears, Eye area, Neck, and Scalp (if visible).   Bottom line: For a handy reminder, write “BEENS” on your sunscreen bottles.

BE GENEROUS.   We may all use sunscreen, but most of us aren’t putting on enough.  If you apply a third of the recommended dose of SPF 30 product, the protection is more like SPF 10.  Bottom line:Adults should apply an ounce (about a handful; see above), and kids half that much, of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every two hours, and more frequently if they’re swimming or sweating.

COVER UP. To avoid burns when the sun is strongest (between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.), take frequent shade breaks, wear a UV-protective shirt while swimming, and use a sunscreen with zinc oxide.  Bottom line: You probably can’t keep kids out of the mid-day sun completely, so it’s important to be all the more vigilant about protection during those hours.

SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR YOUR KIDS. If your child sees you following sun-safety rules, he’ll take them for granted and follow suit. Skin protection is important for every member of the family, so team up with your children to stay protected when venturing out in the sun.  Trust me, you will be thankful when you are 40 years old you applied sunscreen.

Photo from channel3000.com

Let’s visit the library!

Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling, people sitting, tree, child and outdoor

If you have not visited the library with your children, this would be a great week to do it. Check out books to read with your children and find out when the library offers story hour or other special activities for children. Help older children to discover research opportunities to help them with their homework.

Check out local library news at  http://www.librarypoint.org/

Make Plans for Summer Fun with the Kids!

When the kids are out of school on summer break there are soooo many possibilities. But, if you don’t make plans, you will often end up in the house with bored kids getting into trouble and arguing with their siblings.  Make plans!

Having lots of ideas ready can minimize those problems.

Looking for fun activity ideas to get the summer started off right with your host kids?

The Au Pair in America Summer Fun Pinboard is a great place to start. Together, create a Summer Bucket List. Talk with the kids about things they would like to see and do. Even toddlers and preschoolers can contribute to the conversation. Run these plans by your host parents and clear things like how much you may spend and when is best to do some of these activities.

Check back here next week for information on Camp Au Pair in America: a weekly blog series with themes for a summer break filled with fun and new adventures.

Photo: MissMessie (Flickr)

Dinosaurs in Culpepper?

 

Triassic Culpeper: The Dinosaurs of Stevensburg

Trek through Culpeper’s Triassic period with the dinosaurs.

Learn about our dinosaurs, their habitat, and the science of Paleontology.

Examine a locally excavated pair of 215 million year old tracks.

M U S E U M   O F   C U L P E P E R  H I S T O R Y      803 South Main Street       Culpeper, VA 22701        540-829-1749

www.culpepermuseum.com

Hours:   Monday through Saturday 10am to 5 pm      Sunday 1pm to 5 pm

Explore the outdoors

bug on handPhoto by D Sharon Pruitt

It is great to see the world through the eyes of children.  There are simple things in day to day life that can be a thrill for young children.  Below are a few ideas to get you started thinking.  Try to take time for them to marvel at the world and see new things.

  • A car wash (the drive through kind or a bucket and a water hose in the driveway at home)
  • Parking on the street near a construction site to watch the big trucks
  • Feeding ducks bread at the park
  • Collecting leaves, pinecones and rocks
  • Driving across a bridge where they can see the water
  • Driving past a place where you can see animals
  • Any place that has something out of the ordinary, like a fountain or sculpture

 

Building positive self esteem in your children

Most American parents want their children to be independent and responsible, and have a positive image of themselves. A child’s self image is based on how the child sees himself or herself. This is called self-esteem. It is defined by the judgments children make about their own self worth. Self-esteem can be positive or negative. In America, positive self-esteem is very important.

A child may have positive or high self-esteem at different points in his/her life and negative or low self-esteem at other times. Most preschool-aged children typically have very high self-esteem. As children get older, their peers become more critical of each other and can affect a child’s self-esteem. As children move into the elementary school and middle school their self-esteem can decrease for a period of time due to the criticism from their friends.

There are several ways for parents and au pairs to build positive self-esteem in children and have them feel good about themselves. The suggestions include:

  1. Providing warmth, support and praise
  2. Using positive discipline
  3. Being responsive to a child’s needs
  4. Having reasonable, age-appropriate expectations of a child
  5. Developing and enforcing consistent limits
  6. Providing opportunities for a child to make choices
  7. Providing opportunities for a child to explore, investigate and problem-solve
  8. Encouraging a child to be responsible for their actions
  9. Expressing interest in a child and his or her activities.
  10. Helping a child handle disappointment and failure.
  11. Providing opportunities for a child to succeed.
  12. Providing opportunities for a child to help other people.

Take time to read a book today!

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.
  • family-reading_300
  • 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!
  • Turn off the TV and computer and read!

 

Celebrate National Bubble Day!

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.

For more fun, try these additional bubble-making techniques.