Adventures are a great way for nannies and sitters to leverage their creativity to make more money and provide a unique child care experience for families. There are many ways to approach creating an Adventure, but one way is to draw inspiration from important women in history.
March is Women’s History Month and it’s a great time for kids to learn about important historical figures they may not already know. Similarly, Adventures bring a new level of enrichment to the time a sitter spends with a child. Why not combine their powers? You could start with a specific person and design activities from there or find historical people to learn about based on a favorite activity. This could work with any historical figure, but here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Celebrate Women’s History Month with Guess Who
Why Kids Will Love It
With a mix of new and familiar faces, kids will love playing an updated version of a game they love.
Why Parents Will Love It
It’s a fun and easy update to a classic, familiar game. Young children can still play based on observable physical features while older kids will be motivated to learn more about the notable women, adding a new dimension to their questions.
Details
With access to a color printer and the classic kids game, Guess Who, you can turn an old favorite into a new and engaging way to learn about women who’ve made an impact. Just print, cut out, and add the new cards–they slide right in over the old ones. With older kids you may want to review who each of the women are, taking time to learn about the women who pique their interests the most.
Make It Extra Special
Have your kiddo draw themselves as a game card and list all of their achievements that they could be known for (or imagine accomplishments that they hope to see in their futures).
2. Make a Splash with Yusra Mardini
Why Kids Will Love It
Yusra is an incredible young woman who accomplished so much as a teenager. Kids will be inspired by her story while having fun competing in the games.
Why Parents Will Love It
Yusra’s story teaches kids about perseverance in the face of adversity, as well as serving as an introduction to refugees, all through the fun and movement of DIY Olympic Games.
Details
Celebrate Women’s History Month and make a splash learning about Yusra Mardini, an Olympic swimmer for the refugee team who saved the lives of 20 people with her swimming. Read about Yusra’s incredible story with the book, Yusra Swims. Set up your own at-home Olympic Games with items you already have around the house. Make medals to award to the winners like these made from cardboard discs and cereal loops. Then compete in simple games like relay races, beanbag toss, or shot put with balled up socks. Don’t forget to award your medals during the closing ceremonies!
Make It Extra Special
After the stress of competition, it’s important for athletes (and kids) to relax and unwind. Make a watery calm down bottle to help your kiddo regulate again after the excitement of the games. Bonus: this is great for all kinds of big feelings and can be made with a few ingredients you probably already have around the house.
3. Get Cooking with Julia Child
Why Kids Will Love It
Kids love to cook, experiment with food, and make a mess in the kitchen!
Why Parents Will Love It
These recipes will expose children to new flavors and textures using familiar ingredients. Cooking provides kids with an opportunity to apply math and science in a real world setting.
Details
Celebrate Women’s History Month and master the art of French-ish cooking with kids. Begin by reading Born Hungry to learn about Julia Child, an iconic chef, author, and TV personality. Then try your hand at French cooking by preparing a simple meal together. Each recipe only calls for a few ingredients–pantry staples or items you probably already have. Start with a green salad. Prepare Julia’s 20 second omelets for the entree. If you’re feeling skeptical, you can watch Julia make it herself first. Finish things off with a sweet treat with this quick and easy, Americanized version of pain au chocolat (chocolate filled pastry). Older kids should be able to help with almost every step. If you’re cooking with younger kids, familiarize yourself with the recipes first and plan out what steps your little ones will be able to assist with or choose just one item to prepare.
Make It Extra Special
Before Julia taught the world how to master French cuisine, she worked for the OSS, sending and receiving encoded spy messages during World War II. Make up a simple code together and practice sending cryptic messages. Or with older kids, write out your recipes in code!
4. Bug Out with Evelyn Cheesman
Why Kids Will Love It
Tiny, colorful, and composed of parts that are both familiar and different, bugs are fascinating to tiny humans. Children will dive into the field of entomology through arts and crafts, science, and food.
Why Parents Will Love It
A lesser known notable woman, Evelyn’s story will inspire kids and show children of all genders what’s possible when you don’t give up on a dream.
Details
Celebrate Women’s History Month learning about the life of Evelyn Cheesman, a British entomologist who explored the jungles of the South Pacific alone and collected thousands of specimens now on display in the Natural History Museum of London. Start your exploration by reading Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter. Prepare for your own Adventure by making and decorating a hand-sewn paper bag notebook for your field notes. Head into your backyard or take a walk around the block to see what creatures you can observe. Record your findings in your notebook. Back at your base camp, build a bug snack from a buffet of chopped fruits and veggies.
Make It Extra Special
Part of being an entomologist involves sketching the creatures you observe. Level up your bug drawings by creating collage beetles using old magazines. The result will leave your budding insect scientist with vibrant artwork to decorate and inspire.
5. Become a Puppeteer with Pura Belpré
Why Kids Will Love It
Kids will love the creativity and leadership that they will experience producing their own puppet show.
Why Parents Will Love It
In addition to learning about an incredible Latina woman, puppeteering helps kids practice empathy and express emotions.
Details
Celebrate Women’s History Month and become a storytelling puppeteer like Pura Belpré. Read Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré to learn more about the incredible life and accomplishments of New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian. Pura shared her heritage with children by using puppets to tell Puerto Rican folktales before translating and publishing them. Explore folktales (like the story of Juan Bobo) together. Choose one and create puppets to perform the story together. Based on the age of the children and materials available, you could choose paper bag puppets, sock puppets, or no-sew felt puppets.
Make It Extra Special
Give your puppet show a boost with a homemade puppet theater. Using a trifold poster board (think middle school science fairs) and whatever supplies you have on hand, you can make it as simple or fancy as you’d like.
