Babysitting Activities

Babysitting activities and theme nights?

What's a theme night (or afternoon) anyway?

It's a set amount of time in which a specific set of babysitting activities are planned around a specific theme, such as pirates, movies, crafts, songs . . . the list is endless.

If there are any special events in the area, these can also be used as a basis for planning out the night for the kids. That could anything from a regional professional sports team or game to a local town celebration.

Babysitting Activities and Themes - Getting Started

To get started, the babysitter should think of current or potential clients. In this case, we're talking about the kids being invited to the theme night. Here are some important questions to ask:

• What ages will be attending?
• Are there any particular hot trends in this age group? Pirate themes seem to increase around the release of The Pirates of Carribean movies or DVDs. Same thing for princess movies or other releases. This doesn't mean there must be a movie - but it can help to get the creative juices flowing with ideas for babysitting activities.
• What talents or interests does the sitter have? It's best to plan babysitting activities that work with the sitter's own interests and abilities. They are often easier to plan and do because the sitter already knows what to do. The last thing a sitter wants is to be flustered with the kids.
• How many kids should attend? This really needs to be combined with the ages of the kids as well. Smaller kids usually means smaller groups. Larger groups might do better with more structured activities.

These are just a few of the things to consider. Sitters should always add their own ideas to round out their own evening of special babysitting activities.

Babysitting Activites - Making a Plan

Once a theme has been chosen, it's time to start planning. This is even before any kids have signed up.

There's no need to spend any money on supplies just yet - but there does need to be a plan and a budget. This gives parents specific information (and makes them more likely to say yes). The process also helps the babysitter determine ahead of time what's too expensive to include.

The best way to plan these babysitting activities? Write it out! It can look something like this for a theme night that lasts from 6 pm to 8 pm:

• 6:00 - 6:15: Arrive
• 6:15 - 6:45: First activity: Decorate your own pirate hat and eye patch
• 6:45 - 7:00: Snacks: Goldfish in pirate chests with pirate juice
• 7:00 - 7:30: Second activity: Treasure hunt - Follow that map!
• 7:30 - 8:00: Games or songs
• 8:00 - 8:15: Parent pick-up

The next issue is to determine what supplies are needed for each activity and how much they will cost. The babysitter's objective here is for the amount being charged to the parents for the themed evening to cover both the supplies as well as the babysitter's fees.

If not, the plans definitely need to be reviewed. Perhaps it's possible to make some of the items instead of buying them? Are there other cheaper activities than can be substituted? For more ideas, check out this fun babysitting ideas page.

Babysitting Activities - Getting Kids to Come

The last step is to get the word out - advertising.

Existing customers should be approached first and given the first opportunity to reserve a slot for their kids to attend the theme night.

In the case of a new babysitter, or in situations where there are still slots left over, it might be worth considering distributing some simple babysitting flyers in the neighborhood, church, etc.

The flyer should list the key activities, dates/times, and a contact number. There's no need to include a home address, however. Parents can get these details when they call, and it keeps others from having too much information.

Final Thoughts

For more information on advertising or running a babysitting business in general, see this babysitting jobs page.

Need ideas for more themes? Check out these additional babysitting games and activities for an expanded list that includes even more themed babysitting ideas.