Fun for Nannies and Au Pairs: Teaching with Clifford’s Big Idea

Weekly Trip to the Library for Nannies and Au Pairs

When children are given opportunities to try new things, they gain confidence and belief in themselves. Learning about one's own potential early in life can help motivate and inspire young children to become the best they can be!

Read Clifford's Family (Clifford's Big Ideas)and Clifford Takes A Tripby Norman Bridwell.

Ask the children to tell about the different kinds of communities illustrated throughout the stories. What details in the stories text and illustrations describe a city, town, or country setting?

Have your charges make sounds from the city, town. or country. For example, they can make sounds of objects (cars, trains, sirens, tractors) and animals most commonly found in each community (cows, pigs, and pets such as dogs).

If you care for a family with siblings this can also be fun guessing game. Have one child make a sound from the city, town, and country and see if their sibling can guess what the sound is and if it belongs in the city, town, or country.

Then help your charges express their own uniqueness through illustration by using these page headings to create an "All About Me!" book:

• This is Me! (self-portrait)
• My Family
• Home, Sweet Home
• Favorite Pets
• Best Friends
• Eats and Treats That Make Me Smile
• Playtime is Fun! (special toys and activities they enjoy)
• Read, Watch, Enjoy! (favorite books, movies, and cartoons)

To make our favorite cover for the book is to glue a photo of child facing the camera on the front cover. On back cover, glue another photo of the child facing away from the camera for a fun "Good-bye for Now" or "The End" to this special book! But, you can also simply print this link for the cover of the book or or have the child draw a picture of themselves for the cover.

 

Have the child color or trace the book title and sign and date their books.

 

Don't forget to stop by next Saturday for another Weekly Trip to the Library.