Autumn is here so we have come up with a couple of seasonal activities you could try out to entertain the children

Leaf Rubbing

I’m sure you have all seen some beautifully coloured leaves in the parks and streets of England at this time of year. A lovely activity is to place a piece of paper over a leaf and to rub, using a crayon.  The rubbing can then be cut out and glued onto some coloured paper or used to make a collage.

If your children make a beautiful picture, please do send us a photograph and you may even win a £15 voucher.

Just to give you an idea of how to do this please view the video

How about learning a traditional English children’s game?

Conkers!!  The first thing you need to do is head down to your local park and look for the seed of a Horse Chestnut Tree, commonly known as a ‘conker’.

How to play……..

You only need two players, each with a conker threaded onto a piece of string: they take turns striking each other’s conker until one breaks.

If you have any conkers left over you could even turn them into animals using cocktail sticks!!

We would really love to see some photos of your creations, and remember there is a £15 voucher up for grabs!

Au Pair of the Year Award 2012

It is now that time of the year when we recognise the hard work, dedication and love that our wonderful au pairs put into their time with your families!

It is easy to forget that most have travelled hundreds of kilometres, leaving behind the familiarity of their homeland to spend time with you and your children.

The IAPA “Au Pair of the Year Award 2012″ is one way of giving au pairs the recognition and credit they deserve and
it also enhances the public’s awareness of this demanding yet undervalued cultural experience.

The eighth IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award will be presented during the IAPA Annual Conference and Work Experience Travel Market which will take place in Budapest, Hungary, March, 2012.

How Do I Nominate My Au Pair?

If your Au Pair has assisted you in 2011 and you wish to nominate him/her, we ask that you do the following:

• Write a short essay between 500-850 words (about 1 page), describing the characteristics that make your au pair exceptional.
• We will then forward your nomination to IAPA, where it will be judged by a selection panel comprised of IAPA Board members.
• Entries must be received by Smartaupairs before 30 November 2011

The winning au pair, will be flown (all expenses paid) to the Association’s 18th Annual Conference where he/she will be presented with an award.

If you would like to see one of our favourite ‘au pair of the year awards’ click here, we find this video from the USA program truly inspiring:

http://www.youtube.com/user/AupairAustralia#p/f/4/Kb_isSptcgg

For photos & comments from the 2011 IAPA conference and au pair of the year awards, follow the link to our blog.

Please take the time to recognise your au pair’s hard work and nominate them for this wonderful award!

Kent Au Pair Meeting

It is always nice to meet and catch up with local au pairs!

Our recent meeting was organized in Maidstone and we hope arrange another meeting very soon.

If you are already a smartaupair and would like to suggest ideas for the next meeting, please e-mail us at office@smartaupairs.com or get in touch with us on Facebook

Kent Au Pairs & Chloe from SmartaupairsAnne, Au Pair in Maidstone & Chloe from Smartaupairs

Anne, Au Pair in Maidstone & Chloe from Smartaupairs