Summer Learning with The Lorax

Weekly Trip to the Library: The Lorax by Dr. Suess Over 40-years ago Dr. Seuss published The Lorax . In his search to find a real Truffula Tree a boy must find the Lorax who is a forest guardian who speaks for the trees and protects the forest. The Lorax tries to save the environment […]

What I Love About Working as a Nanny During the Summer

I confess I love taking advantage of the fact that play and fun are the name of the game when caring for kids during the summer. Although I’m great working with schedules during the school year, I enjoy the flexibility of planning what we want to do during the summer months. I love that as […]

Summer Learning with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Weekly Trip to the Library for Nannies and Au Pairs Read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. This story describes a day in which everything goes wrong for a boy named Alexander. When Alexander got up in the morning, he found gum in his hair, tripped on his skateboard, and accidentally […]

Summer Learning: Africa, Anansi the Spider and the Ashanti

Weekly Trip to the Library I care for three kids all of different ages. The three-year-old girl I care for was frightened of spiders so I borrowed the following books from the library to help her face her fear and now she loves spiders. Her 10-year-old brother is obsessed with the rain forest, while their teen brother loves […]

Summer Science: Making Floam

Creative Wednesdays Incorporating learning into the summer benefits the children. If done properly, the kids will will be having so much fun they won’t know they are having lessons at home. Making Floam is a great science lesson and is a great medium for kids to create with when they are tired of the same […]

Alphabet Cookies for Summer Learning

Cooking With Kids Summer is a wonderful time, but with it comes the “Summer Slide.” Learning slips and even basic knowledge takes a vacation. This is especially true with preschoolers and kindergartners who are just learning their letters, counting, and the like. Making alphabet cookies is a sweet way to keep learning in the home […]

Make the Trip to the Zoo a Summer Learning Experience

Once at Home from the Zoo All this week we shared fun ways to help kids learn when taking a trip to the zoo this summer. Once back at home from the zoo, allow the kids to finish their Zoo Books. Ask the kids what were their favorite animals at the zoo and help them […]

Making a Zoo Book

Preventing Summer Slide The kids love it when I help them make a Zoo Book to take with us when we take a trip to the zoo. I print out free coloring pages, checklists, and scavenger hunts from educational web sites for free. I staple the pages together or punch three holes down the left […]

Preparing Summer Slide Going to the Zoo

Games to Play Before Going to the Zoo Here are some games to play with kids to get them prepared to go to the zoo. Animals and Their Young Ones You will need: Pictures of animals and their young ones, white construction sheets (one for each child), and glue. Place the pictures of different zoo […]

More Fun Summer Reading Learning for Nannies and Au Pairs

Make an Alphabet Book You will need photos of the child and their family and friends, a photo album or scrap book, and some paper and markers. In the scrapbook or photo album assign each page as a letter in the alphabet, and make sure the pages are in alphabetical order. Then, have the child […]