5 activities au pairs and host families can do to have fun together

Au pairs’ and host families’ main focus is the children in the family. It’s important that the au pair and the host family work together to plan activities that the children will enjoy.

All children are different, so it’s important that the host family gives the au pair some ideas of things she/he can do with their children and the things that their children enjoy.

One of the beautiful aspects of being an au pair is that you can have lots of fun with your host children and that you can become friends. Being able to plan some creative activities to do with the children will help to give you and your family a great chance to build a special and lasting relationship. 

If you are looking for ideas of things you, your au pair and your children can do together see below: 

1. Activity centres 

Activity centres are great because they usually offer both outdoor and indoor activities, so they’re a great option on a rainy day or to spend some time in the fresh air. Leisure centres offer lots of indoor activities, for example, water based activities and water games would be an invaluable opportunity for your au pair to encourage your child’s water confidence and awareness. If you would like a really special day out, Adventure centres are a great idea! They have outdoor activities and they can be a nice way for the whole family and the au pair to spend some time together exploring nature. From climbing walls, to kayaking to zip wires. These adventure centres can be fun for the whole family.

2. Arts and crafts

Arts and crafts centres are becoming more and more popular and they’re a great way for children to find out their hidden skills. Among the activities included at these centres there are: painting, collage, drawing, clay textiles and much more. The au pair may take part to these activities with the children and they could try to experiment more at home. The children might find out they have excellent drawing skills and may discover a new hobby to do at home. Your au pair could inspire them with new ideas and your children will cherish these handcrafted creations made together. 

3. Pet farms & animal farms 

All children love pets! Bringing the children to a pet farm you can never go wrong. It’s a great chance to spend a family fun day out. For the children it will be a funny and educational experience that will bring them closer to pets. They will learn a lot about them and they will have the chance to get up close to them. This could be a good opportunity for your au pair to teach the children some facts about pets, help them feeding the pets and play with them. The children will never forget this experience and they will always link this memory to the au pair. 

 4. Cookery classes

One of the advantages of having an au pair at home is that she/he can bring new dishes and flavours on your table. Here is the chance for your au pair to experience what intercultural exchange means. If the au pair has good cooking skills, she could teach your children how to make a real Italian pizza, or an authentic Spanish paella. Nothing is more fun to a child than to make a real mess in the house! Your children will love to knead the dough with their hands and create new forms. It will be an educational experience too as they will learn how to make food and will start gaining some nutritional awareness. Also, it is a good way for the au pair to teach the children to clean up after they have dirtied the kitchen. The children will see the cleaning up as part of having fun instead of seeing it as a boring task to do. For the children it will be a huge satisfaction to see their final dish ready and eaten by the rest of the family and, again, they will tie this memory to their au pair. If you don’t want your kitchen to become a mess, don’t worry! In most towns you’ll find cookery schools where both your au pair and your children can take part to cookery classes where all ingredients are provided. 

5. Bowling 

Bowling is another activity that can bring the whole family and the au pair together. The children can have lots of fun with their au pair challenging her in a healthy competition game or, if you’re up to take part in the challenge, your au pair might team up with your children and try to challenge you! This could be a great opportunity for the children to bond with the au pair and see her as part of their team not only when bowling but also at home. The children will understand that the au pair is fun and that she/he is on their side, so they’ll surely involve her/him in other games at home making her/him feel as part of the family. For au pairs there’s no better thing than to feel accepted and welcomed in their host family. The happier they feel in your house, the more they will do to make the whole family happy in return.