Your toolkit for life with a Chinese host family
Your host kids may understand more English than they can say, and some things that feel normal at home are different in China. These guides help you connect, play and share English from day one.
- Games & PlayChildren learn a language fastest when they are having fun. These games need little or no equipment and are fun even when your host kids understand more English than they can say.
- English Through PlayYou are not a classroom teacher, and that is your superpower. These ideas turn bath time, snacks and the walk to the park into relaxed English practice that children actually enjoy.
- AI for Au PairsChinese AI apps are fast, free and already on your host family’s phones. Used well, they save you hours of preparation. Each guide includes a prompt you can copy and paste.
- Outings & PlacesMuseums, parks and day trips that are fun for children, in our guides to Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Latest guides
Written for au pairs, by people who have lived with Chinese families.
- Games & Play5 Fun Car Games to Play on the Way to SchoolFive no-equipment English car games for au pairs in China: turn the school run, metro rides and traffic jams into easy, fun language practice with your host kids.
- AI for Au PairsHow to Use DeepSeek and Doubao (豆包) to Generate Custom English Flashcards for Your Host KidA step-by-step AI masterclass for au pairs in China: make personalised English flashcards with DeepSeek and Doubao (豆包), with a copy-paste prompt.
- Games & PlayTPR Games: How to Teach English Through Movement (for Shy Chinese Kids)Total Physical Response (TPR) games for au pairs in China: let shy host kids show they understand English with their bodies before they are ready to speak.
Why a toolkit?
Many Chinese children learn English at school but have few chances to speak it, so they can be shy at first. Daily life is different too: grandparents often help raise the children, meals are shared from the middle of the table and school days can be long. Our guides give you simple, tested ideas for all of this, so you can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying the exchange. Want to learn more about the culture? Read aboutlearning Mandarin and Chinese culture.
Want to try these methods with a real family in China?
Apply to be an Au Pair today! Applying takes a few minutes, and our Shanghai team will introduce you to host families.