Tag Archives: live in childcare

It’s Mozart’s birthday!

How many songs do you know, that Mozart wrote?

mazart

Did you know that Mozart wrote the popular kids’ song “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?” The same tune is also used for “The Alphabet Song” and “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.” Amaze your host parents by teaching the children about Mozart and singing the song at dinner.  Listen to some classical music today and find out that it can be calming and delightful at nap time and mealtime or can inspire the children when they are drawing  on paper with crayons or markers.

ABC’s of Winter Fun

snowflake

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

It’s Australia Day!

A koala holding onto a eucalyptus tree with its head turned so both eyes are visible

People across New South Wales join together in celebration of what it means to be Australian. Australia is unique because it is an island country that is also a continent.

You can learn more about Australia by visiting the “for kids” section ofhttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/downunder/.

You’ll find directions to make a Boomerang and fun facts about kangaroos and koalas.

Winter driving safety tips

Driving safely on icy roads

  1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
  2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
  3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
  4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.
  5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
  6. Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
  7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
  8. Don’t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
  9. Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

Want to rent a car?

Avis rents to customers between the ages of 21-24 with an Avis-honored credit card and valid driver’s license. At time of rental, we will automatically apply an additional $27-per-day underage surcharge in the US and $35 per day in Canada for these drivers.

Exceptions:

In Washington DC., the minimum age to rent is 25. Except at Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), which now rents to customers between the ages of 21-24 with a valid credit card and driver’s license.

In New York State the minimum age to rent is 18 with a $52 per day surcharge for renters age 18-20 and a $35-per-day underage surcharge for renters age 21-24.

Michigan will continue to have a minimum age of 18 with a $41-per-day surcharge for customers between the ages of 18-20 and $28-per-day surcharge for customers between the ages of 21-24.

In Quebec, the minimum age to rent car groups A, B, C, D & E is 21 with an under age fee of $20 per day for renters age 21-24. For all other car groups, the minimum age is 25.

In Saskatchewan, the minimum age is 18. No under age fee applies.

Government Personnel (civilian or military) minimum age policy is as follows:

For Personnel (FEMA, U.S. Postal Dept., Navy and Army) not using the Government Leisure Pass, minimum age is
* 18 years (No underage surcharge will apply) with Government Travel or Purchase order
* 21 years (No underage surcharge will apply) without Travel or Purchase order

When using the Government Leisure pass the renter is subject to underage fees as specified by renting location.

Renters between the ages of 21-24 may not rent vehicles in the following car classes:

  • Luxury
  • Specialty
  • Minivans
  • Passenger Vans
  • Full-Size SUVs
  • Premium SUVs

The local Avis is in the Sears store at the mall and also at:

315 Garrisonville Rd, Ste 117
Stafford, VA, 22463 , US
(1) 540-288-2764

University of Mary Washington audit registration date changed to Jan 22

Registration for those wishing to audit classes will be held on Tuesday, January 21, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 206. The fee for auditing is $30 per credit hour. You must complete the Audit Application and Registration form. Citizens over 60 are exempt from the fee, but you must complete the Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver. Au paires should bring their visa.

Happy Birthday Albert Schweitzer!

Born in 1875 in Germany, Schweitzer studied music, science and religion. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and is probably best remembered for bringing modern health care to Africa in the early 1900s. Here are two quotes from Schweitzer to think about and discuss with the children. How can these quotes inspire you to act?

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”

– Albert Schweitzer

Let’s make a volcano!

Bicarbonate of soda, also known as baking powder, has many household uses including cooking, cleaning and medical uses. But it can also be used for a very simple and fun science experiment suitable for ages 7 and older.

Baking Soda Volcano
Create quite a fizzle by mixing baking soda/sodium bicarbonate with vinegar.

You need the following:

  • Baking Soda – Make certain the box says soda, and not powder.
  • Vinegar
  • A container to hold your experiment. You can make a clay volcano or just use a plastic container.
  • Paper towels, depending on the extent of mess you plan to make.

How to do the experiment:

  • In a container, place some of the baking soda.
  • Pour in some vinegar.
  • Watch what happens!

Clebrate New Year’s Eve in downtown Fredericksburg!

Fredericksburg’s First Night. Dec 31. A family friendly celebration of the arts. Fireworks, NYE countdown, pineapple drop, 15 Stages, over 30 Entertainers, Children’s Block with the Wishing Tree, Street Drawing, Teen Scene, Vendors, Street eats, Clowns, Mascots, Dancing, Trolley Rides, Carriage Rides, and Chinese Dragon! The biggest and best NYE party you’ve ever seen! Historic Fredericksburg. Cost: $5 in advance, $8 night of the event. Buttons will be available at the Visitors Center after November 15. Watch for updates: www.FredericksburgFirstNight.com

Celebrate the holidays in Fredericksburg

Christmas Tree

Holiday Crafts. Dec 19. 5 pm. Gather around the craft table to make several holiday crafts. You will make a wide variety of Christmas crafts suitable to decorate your home! Be sure to wear a craft shirt. Rowser Building, Stafford. Cost: $8/$10-non res. Ages 3 – 5: 5 – 5:45 pm & Ages 6 – 10: 6 – 6:45 pm. Register at www.staffordparks.com
Rappahannock Pops Holiday Spectacular. Dec 20. 7:30 – 9 pm. Featuring songs: Go Tell It On, The Mountain; White Christmas; We Need a Little Christmas; The Christmas Song; A Civil War Christmas; Hanukkah Festival Overture; Christmas Festival; Sleigh Ride; I’ll Be Home for Christmas; a special visit from Santa! $20 Adults, $15 Seniors (65 and over), $15 Students (with valid ID), Children Under 18 FREE! 540-373-4496. Grace Church of F’burg, Center for the Arts, 1141 Heatherstone Dr. www.rappahannockpops.org

Splitsville Holiday Break Special. Dec 20 – Jan 1. Say code word FREDPARENT and get Free Shoe Rental for the group AND Free a kid’s meal with purchase of an adult meal.

The Nutcracker. Dec 20, 21 (7:30 pm) & Dec 22, 23 (3 pm). Manassas Ballet Theatre proudly presents this family Christmas classic. Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall, Manassas. Ticket prices vary. www.hyltoncenter.org

Fabulous Fridays: Gift Wrap Workshop. Dec 20. 4:30 pm. Drop in and learn how to wrap your holiday gifts with flair! Books, activities, and crafts! Grades K-6. Salem Church Library. www.librarypoint.org

The Nutcracker. Dec 21: (2 pm & 7:30 pm) & Dec 22 ( 2 pm). The Fredericksburg Ballet Centre’s annual Nutcracker performance will be held at James Monroe High School. Tickets may be purchased at FBC or Scrapdoodles (540-548-3788). Discounts for Scout Troops for the Saturday, December 21st @ 2:00 show. There is something for the whole family. 540-373-0978 or visit us at www.fredericksburgballet.com