Kindness Rocks: Au Pairs Craft Momentos for the Community

Rain or shine, in the great state of Massachusetts, two Area Directors Susie and Jane made it their mission to make their monthly cultural event a fun-filled adventure for their au pairs and host families!

The two Area Directors loaded up their cars and drove down to Skyline Park in Brookline, Massachusetts. There they were joined by an overwhelming number of eager faces; with more than 20 host families and au pairs in attendance, there was a grand total of 120 people present for the fun! Many had even brought along their neighborhood friends and play dates for their children.  Anticipating the event would be a hit, Susie and Jane had their face painting booth set up and ready to go. The au pairs enjoyed learning to play kickball and baseball, as for many these sports were new to them. After a traditional “American” picnic, the au pairs and families participated in a scavenger hunt and created "Kindness Rocks".

The craft table was the most talked-about portion of the day as au pairs, children, and host parents were able to decorate rocks that would physically represent what they were grateful for, or what kindness meant to them. Participants selected from a basket filled with natural and painted river rocks, markers, colorful stickers, and even had a banner filled with inspirational ideas. This was a huge hit among the au pairs as many shared how happy they were to be together with their host families, or how they were able to experience new things in the United States that has changed them forever.

This was an amazing day, and I am really glad that my host family was able to meet so many of my friends in this country!

As the day came to an end, many host families said their goodbyes and commented on how amazing the event was and how they appreciated meeting so many au pairs from different countries. With many satisfied and smiling faces, the two AuPairCare Area Directors could proudly call this a successful event.

When asked about the inspiration behind the activity the Area Director Jane stated

Sometimes you just want to express thanks to someone who’s done a lot for you, or sometimes you just want to do something nice for a stranger. So, I told the girls, make a rock for someone you care about to show them that you care.”

To top it off, many au pairs stayed long after their host families left to continue making more kindness rocks. Not only did the au pairs make kindness rocks for each other, but they ended up leaving a few at the park and at spots in their local community to just “brighten someone’s day”. This was an amazing activity to showcase friendship and the kindness toward one another.

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