Have Fun With the Kids As an Aupair

When you are an au pair, your job is based around the children. Being with them like 10 hours a day, 7 days a week can make you feel like you're becoming a bore and that you have nothing else do to, but as long as you're with the kids and keep yourself open, you can do nothing but fun!

Steps

  1. Ask the kids for ideas of things that they enjoy. Are they artsy? Are they athletic? Love reading? Math? Cooking? Find something based in one of their special areas.
  2. Ask the guest parents if there are any limits to what you can do, if they don't want the kids to burn the house down baking a cake, then don't bake a cake.
  3. Pick something special for each week that will keep them on their toes.
  4. Put on plays or shows. If the children don't want to sing, dance or act, try puppets or using toys as puppets. You film their efforts if the patents don't want to be the audience.
  5. Do some role reversal. Let the children look after you for the day, within sensible limits of course.
  6. Get outside and put on a sports day. Run races, do welly-wanging, make an obstacle course.
  7. Go on a nature walk. Look for signs or spring, summer, fall or winter depending on the time of year.
  8. Make a den or Build a Fort. You can do this indoors or outdoors.
  9. Play old school board games. A lot of children have never played monopoly or snakes and ladders, give these a try.
  10. Try hide and seek or playing Sardines.

Tips

  • Don't let the kids play with the hot glue. 8 Years? 10? 13? Who cares. It'll make you look irresponsible and kids have a habit of pointing fingers!
  • Clean up major accidents right away! Paint spills, sparkle spills, stained clothing.
  • To waste time with painting projects, try to make them do rough drafts first.
  • Change up the activity, don't stick to the same theme all the time, unless that is what the kid likes. But make sure you enjoy it too. Children are great at pointing out fakers.
  • Try to keep the activities regular, once a week or once every two weeks is great!
  • If they like something you make, give it to them. If they make something you like and offer it, then take up the offer! Kids love giving and receiving!
  • If the child is young enough, play the game a little bit in their favour. Sometimes they pick up that you are letting them win. In this case, play your best and beat the sucker down. If it is a luck game (something like Uno, pick up sticks,s Elfer Raus) then It doesn't matter if you try your best all the time, you will not all the time.
  • If the kids get violent with games, take it away and let them have a time out. Maybe your host parents have a different method like spoiling the kid and telling them to play on the computer? Don't do this, it teaches nothing. Tell them to go straight to nappy.
  • They might feel not confident with their skills, try to cheer them up! Let them know that they are much younger and they have years for improvement!
  • When you are playing sports, don't get rough. Kids are accident-prone. In the case of an accident, deal with it right away. Don't watch them lay on the grass sobbing.

Warnings

  • You are always responsible for the safety and wellbeing of children in your care. Risk assess every activity.

Things You'll Need

  • Arts supplies
  • Sports equipment

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