June Meeting Reminder

Posted by: mchazen on June 18, 2007

Sunday June 24- 2:00 pm

Sand Volley Ball and Lunch

Meet me at Geick Park at 2:00 p.m.

Route 516 East Old Bridge New Jersey

Park is located right next to Old Bridge East High School

Activity Tip of the Week

Posted by: mchazen on June 17, 2007

The weather outside is beautiful so this weeks activity idea is a craft you can make with the children to enjoy the outdoors.

Please click on more to find out how to make 2 different types of bird feeders.

An easy craft to make, and fun to watch the birds eat!

This project is rated VERY EASY to do.

What You Need
 

• Slice of white bread

• Cookie cutter

• Peanut Butter

• Knife to spread peanut butter (plastic is fine!)

• Yarn

• Bird seed on a plate

 
How To Make It
 

1. Take the cookie cutter and punch a nice shape out of the white bread.

2. You can save the scraps for breadcrumbs or make ones with the center cut out.

3. Punch a hole into it for yarn to hang, thread the yarn through.

4. Let the white bread shapes sit out for a day or two so that they become firm. This will make it easier to spread the peanut butter.

5. Spread peanut butter on the bread, then turn over and push into bird seed. You can turn it over and put peanut butter and seed on the other side, too, if you wish.

6. Hang outside on a tree for the birds to eat.

Here’s an easy and fun project to do at home … and your feathered friends will love you for it!

Hang this Peanut Butter Bird Feeder in a tree; birds will soon find it and keep coming back. 

You’ll need:

• A large open pine cone (you’ll find these at the base of pine trees in many parks
     

• A small packet of wild bird seed
   

• Peanut butter
   

• String

Method:

Put the birdseed on a saucer.

Roll small balls of peanut butter into the seed and then press the balls into the pine cone.

Tie the string around the pine cone and carefully hang it from a low tree branch.

Some Important Information to Know

Posted by: mchazen on June 14, 2007

Some Important Information to Know

Please click on more to find out this important information

Some Important Information to Know

• Our Program Director is Nicole Schroder and she can be reached at

1-800-333-6056.

• If you have an emergency after hours and you are unable to reach me you can call the Cultural Care emergency number 24 hours a day at 1-800-333-6056 if it is after hours please give the person picking up the call all the information and someone will get back to you shortly.

• Au pairs may not provide more than 45 hours per week and no more than 10 hours per day of childcare under any circumstances including situations in which au pairs are left home alone overnight with the children.

• Au pair responsibilities must relate solely to the care of the children and may not include heavy household chores

• Au pairs may not work outside their host family’s home under any circumstances including babysitting for neighbors.

• Au pairs may not provide additional childcare (in excess of the 45 hours per week) for additional compensation to their own host families.

• Au pairs may not be left alone with infants under 3 months of age under any circumstances. If an au pair is asked to care for an infant under 3 months, a parent or responsible adult must be present in the home at all times.

• Au Pairs get 2 weeks paid vacation

• You  are required to attend monthly meetings

• Driving the car is a privilege and should not be abused and all rules set up for use of the car by your host family should be followed or this privilege can be taken away.     

Acitivity Tip of the Week

Posted by: mchazen on June 10, 2007

With Fathers Day on June 17 the activity tip of the week are 2 easy and fun crafts that you can have the children make for gifts for Dad.

A Pencil Holder or a Picture Frame.

Please click more for directions on these easy to make gifts

Pencil Holder for Dad

What you will need: old magazines, colored paper, glue, construction paper, and an empty tin can.

What to do:

1. Make sure your can is clean and there are no sharp edges.

2. Cut out words from magazines describing your dad. You can also use the word patterns. Print them out onto different colors of paper and cut around them.

3. Cut a piece of construction paper to fit around your can. Tape it to the can. Glue the different words to the construction paper making a collage.

Fathers Day Picture Frame

1. Tape or glue construction paper to cover two cardboard paper towel tubes.

2. Cut out a piece of card stock that’s slightly larger than the photo you plan to use.

3. Attach the photo to the card stock with rolled pieces of tape. With a craft knife, make vertical slits in the tubes for the sides of the card stock to slip into (a parent’s job).

4. Now your child can cut out decorative shapes; such as a tennis racket, golf club or baseball pennant; from colored craft foam or construction paper. Then she can use markers or paints to add embellishing details before gluing the shapes onto the frame and presenting her gift to Dad.

Activity Tip of The Week

Posted by: mchazen on June 3, 2007

There is no need to go out and buy playdough - make your own! If you have older kids you can have a great time making one of these recipes together. Click More for details

Playdough (Cooked)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
½ cup Salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
Food coloring

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a saucepan.  Mix liquids and gradually stir them into dry ingredients.  When mixture is smooth, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until a ball forms.  Remove from heat and knead till smooth. You can use unsweetened kool-aid instead of food coloring.

This is very pliable and long-lasting play dough, with a more elastic consistency than uncooked play dough.

You can use different colors, glitter (looks great on dark colored playdough)

Store in an airtight container.

Perfect Playdough

Ingredients:

2 Cups flour
1 Cup salt
2 Cups water
1 Tablespoon oil
2 Teaspoons cream of tartar
Food Coloring

Directions:

Mix ingredients in a large pot.  Stir constantly over medium to high heat on stovetop.  Playdough is done when you can no longer stir, but must flip it like a pancake.

Store in airtight container or bag.  Will last several months.

*You can also add Kool-aid instead of food coloring to give the playdough a yummy smell, or add oils such as vanilla, lavender etc.. to add scent.  Dress up your playdough and add sprinkles or glitter.

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Peanut

Butter Playdough

Ingrediants:

1 Cup peanut butter
1 Cup honey
1 Cup powdered milk
1 Cup oatmeal

Directions:

Mix altogether.

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Kool-Aid Play Dough

Ingrediants:

1 Cup flour
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Package unsweetened Kool-aid
¼ Cup salt
2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
1 Cup water

Directions:

Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar and kool-aid in a medium pot.  Add water and oil.  Stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  When mixture forms a ball in the pot, remove.  Knead till smooth.  Put in air-tight container and refrigerate.

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Pumpkin Pie Playdough

Ingrediants:

5 ½ Cups Flour
2 Cups salt
8 Teaspoons cream of tartar
¾ Cup oil
1 Container (1 1/12 ounces) pumpkin pie spice
Orange food coloring
4 Cups water

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together.  Cook and stir over medium heat until lumps disappear.  Knead the dough on a floured surface till smooth.  Store in airtight container.

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Pumpkin Pie Playdough II

Ingrediants:

Can of Pumpkin pie filling
Flour (enough to make playdough consistency.

Directions:

Add together and play.

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Rubbery Playdough

Ingrediants:

2 Cups baking soda
1 ½ Cups water
1 Cup cornstarch

Directions:

Mix with a fork until smooth.  Boil over medium heat till thick.

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Chocolate Playdough

Ingrediants:

2 Cups water
½ Cup salt
2 Tablespoons cream of tartar
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup cocoa
2 Cups flour

Directions:

In a medium-sized pot, bring the water and salt to a boil.  Stir in the remainder ingredients.  Allow mixture to cool slightly.  Knead the dough till it reaches smooth doughy consistency.  Store in airtight container.

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Sand Dough

Ingrediants:

1 Cup sand
¾ Cup liquid starch
½ Cup corn starch

Directions:

Mix both starches over heat.  Add sand.  Stir for several minutes until it’s thick like oatmeal.  Form into a ball.  Make into an art piece and let it sit out in the sun to dry.

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Art Dough

Ingrediants:

4 Cups flour
1 Cup Salt
1 ½ Cups water
1 Teaspoon glue

Directions:

Mix all ingredients well.  Make your own creation.  Put it on foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes depending how thick it is.

Then paint if desired.

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Gak

Ingrediants:

2 Tablespoons Glue
2 Tablespoons Water
Food Coloring
Borax

Directions:

Add the glue and water together in a bowl.  Put a few drops of food coloring in. Mix well.

In another bowl, put 1 teaspoon Borax and 1 tablespoon of water- Stir into the glue mixture until the water is all absorbed.

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Goop

Ingrediants:

2 Cups salt
2/3 Cups water
1 Cup corn starch
½ Cup cold water

Directions:

Mix 2 cups salt and 2/3 cup water, heat for 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and quickly add mixture of:  1 Cup cornstarch and ½ Cup cold water.  Stir quickly.  Return to heat briefly if too “goopy”.

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Uncooked Goop

Ingrediants:

1 ½ Cups cornstarch
½ Cup water
Food coloring

Directions:

Measure 1 ½ cups of cornstarch and put in a pie pan or container.  Add food coloring to water.  Gradually add approximately ½ cup of water to cornstarch.  Stir well.  Add small amounts of water or cornstarch till the mixture comes apart and as you run your finger through it, it melts together again.  Tap lightly on the surface with your finger or spoon.  If its too wet add more cornstarch, too dry, add more water.  Try and pick it up in your hand. It feels like a solid until you open your hand and then it slips through.

 

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Slime (Silly Putty)

Ingrediants:

Elmer’s glue
Liquid starch

Directions:

Mix Equal parts of Elmer’s glue and liquid starch and knead.  You may have to add more glue and knead more.  It it’s sticky add liquid starch.  You can add food coloring and store in air-tight container. 

*If it sticks to child’s clothes, you can use vinegar to get it out.

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Sun Clay

Ingrediants:

2 Cups salt
1 Cup cornstarch and water

Directions:

Mix the salt and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring until the salt is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  In a separate bowl, slowly add ½ cup water to the cornstarch.  Stir until smooth, then add to the salt mixture.  Return to low heat and cook until smooth, stirring frequently.  Store in a sealed plastic bag.

Work outside in the sun.  Decorate clay with twigs or stones and let it harden and dry in the sun.

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Modeling Clay Dough

Ingrediants:

1 Cup flour
½ Cup salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Cup water
Food coloring

Directions:

Mix flour, salt, oil and water together in a big bowl until mixture has doughlike consistency.  Knead dough into a ball on floured surface (preferably wax paper).  Divide dough and add food coloring to each.  Knead again.  When your finished creating your “art” piece, you can let it air dry or store it in an airtight container.  Refrigerate.