Backyard Entreprenuer^TM

 Day Care Consultant

for old and young alike

Life's golden age is when the kids are too old to need babysitters and too young to borrow the family car. -- Aurthor Unknown

Make money working at home as an entrepreneur with these amazing activities for a day care sitter service. Create your own activities and publish a book.

Baby Sitter Service 

By running an after school backyard child care center (backyard babysitter), you can provide a service to families as well as share something amazing with children: the appreciation of the outdoors!  This can be a great entrepreneurial idea if you like kids or have kids of your own who could use some playmates.  Since you  have to create activities for the kids, why not throw in some free enterprise activities.  Teach them how to be capitalists while you are at it.  It is never to early to learn how to be an entrepreneur.

Run a babysitter referral service. You will personally check out those who want to be on your list.  Those who use your service will pay you for your referrals. 

Elder Sitter Service

Sometimes older folks need sitters, too.  These are semi-active adults who just need creative activities out of the house.  Since they can no longer drive to their various clubs and home again during the day, you can provide them all the activities they are used to in one place so they do not have to go back and forth from home to have social activities.  If their adult children work during the day, they can provide the transportaion.  However, you might need to provide the transportation.  Make certain that you have all the required licenses and insurance to do that.  The activities that adults enjoy are not so much different that then ones the kids enjoy.  They will want to do arts and crafts, sing, listen to music, exercise, and have time to talk and socialize with just a cup of coffee.  Use their talents.  Put together a musical group, a quilting club, sew blankets or toys for the hospital.  Write letters to the troops.  Answer children's letters to Santa Clause.  Make and sell products in the Day Care Store.

Grandparents Club

Give older folks the opportunity to mingle with the little children as you combine your two services.  For a finder's fee, match children with adoptive grandparents.  Provide activities for interaction. 

Training

Be certain that you are well trained, have taken a CPR course, and have first aid supplies nearby.  Post all your certificates for a professinal and legal look.

Activities 

Keep everyone busy and entertained by taking part in outdoor activities, such as making salt dough crafts or some of the ideas that we mention on BackyardEntrepreneur.com, like making mobiles, painting animal faces on rocks, bird watching, or turning trash to treasure!  You can also try creating mazes, building obstacle courses, fun houses, and having scavenger hunts. 

Get boxes from copy centers -- the kind that reams of paper comes in. Duct tape the lids to the boxes. Stack these to make walls for houses or to create mazes.

Make cardboard playhouses from refrigerator boxes.

Kids can make their own special plates with these kits.

Make paper dolls for the younger kids to color and cut.  They can add the details.

The ideas are endless and everyone, including you and visitors, can have a great time!  Be certain that the dress is weather appropriate, there is plenty of water, and rest times are provided.

Brainstorming

Another idea that is easy to forget about, but is perfect for children, is laying out blankets for the kids to lie on to look up at the clouds.  Starring up at the sky is inspiring and can excite imaginations.  It can also be educational as you study the different types of clouds.  Just make sure that it's not too bright and the children have on sunscreen even if they are in the shade.

Here's the twist to this kind of day care:  You are not just "sitting".  The kids' activities and play all have a central purpose. You are going to set up a store to sell your products and the products the kids make.  They will brainstorm to come up with ideas as to what product to create, how to package;  they will set the price and market it in your store. Check out our store with designs for brainstorming -- end of our home page.

Give them time to think and dream aout thier ideas while gazing into the sky.  Think big.

Run a Day Care Store

Sell what you have created to keep everyone entertained.  How about bubbles? You can buy small empty plastic bottles with caps at hobby stores or buy them wholesale online.  Fill these with your very special bubble mixture that you have perfected for long lasting, big bubbles.  Twist small wire into the shape of a circular wand from which to blow the bubbles. Sell the bubble mixture with attached wand.

Make and sell extra homemade dough for use at home. They loved it at your place, they will love it at home. 

Sell door hangers like the one above.

Make and sell personalized play mats and nap pillows.  Put in a bit of lavendar for a special scent.  See our Backyard Botanist page.

Create patterns to sell or the items themselves for coasters, makeup pouches, pencil pouches, gift bags, coin purses, bookmarks, and so forth.  Click here to see our sample patterns.  You make up your own unique designs.

Sell cushions for older customers to sit on.

Sell kite kits that you have made and put together.

Sell First Aid kits you have put together.  Teach emergency preparedness.  See our page Emergency Planner for ideas.

Make little books created just for the children using their very own names as main characters --- and the names of their friends.  You make up the story about memorable activites that took place under your care.  Hand write the story, draw illustrations, and tie the little book together.

Make history books with older folks so that their stories are recorded.

Sell what everyone makes. Teach everyone to make a product, market it, sell it, and profit from it. Get them to help design a little store.  Teach them to keep account records.  Don't forget to help them turn in the sales tax to your state.

Sell items that older folks need:  socks, houseshoes, bibs, light jackets, and especially decorations for wheel chairs.  Wheelchairs need horns, flags, lights, and banners.  Have fun.

Sell Paper Doll Kits

Kids color and cut.  They can add their own designs and special touches or you can add your ad on the shirts. Promote your church, team, school, college, or business using paper dolls. Promote math or careers.   

Teach Entrepreneurial Skills

We cannot stress enough the importance of teaching entrepreneurial skills to young children.  Children as young as 6 can make a craft to sell.  A young child can make money and understand the work ethic necessary to create a product and get it to market.  Set up a once-a-month children's market to sell the crafts the kids make.  Invite not only parents, but the entire neighborhood and the entire town.  All after-school care centers and day care centers can teach marketing skills to young children.  This would give the kids a purpose to all other learning activities.  Older adults in your care can help teach these skills. Teach how to sell.  Emphasis is on goods as well as services.  A Face Painting service is just as important as selling a product.

Set up Investment Clubs

While the kids are in your care, teach them something useful.  Teach money skills.  See our Wishing Well Investor page for more ideas.  Take weekly field trips to the bank to make deposits into their savings accounts.

Teach Poise and Manners Lessons

Create a staging area . Students can paractice walking in front of a group.  They learn to stand up straight with the tummy tucked in.  They learn to talk to each other as if at a party, making small talk.  Seat them at a table and teach table manners. Teach which fork to use.  Practice eating a meal together.  Remember not to talk with mouth full.  Keep elbows off the table.  Kids will love this great "game".  Older adults can be the audience and are entertained at the same time the kids are learning.

Set Up a Kids' Publishing House

Kids can publish their own newsletter.  They can write their own stories and books.  Publish these for parents and friends. Keep grandparents in your care busy helping to proof read the books. 

Teach Bike and Road Safety

Set up a circular path for the kids to ride their little cars and bikes.  Put road signs along the way.  Have them obey the rules of the road.  Teach bike safety rules.

Image Consultant 

Become an image consultant.  Teach how to sit and stand; teach how to dress.   Help others put a wardrobe together. Do color analysis. Kids will love this especially. These skills will be necessary when looking for a job.

Carreer and Professional Coach

Kids love being treated like adults.  Give them the ideas they need so they can know what they want to be when they grow up. Teach them to be business-like.  This works particularly well with your after school preteens.  Brain wash those kids:  Design a line of clothing that encourages them to study fields that are not so obvious in the world around them.  Make paper dolls as well as a real line of clothing.

 Teach Interviewing Skills

When the children grow up, they can come back to you so that you can teach them interviewing skills. However, it is never to young to learn interviewing skills.  Play acting with small children gets them into thnking about the fact that someday they will enter the work force.  They need to develop social skills while very young.

Bronze Baby Shoes

You can offer your services locally or online.  You must be trustworthy for parents to trust you with thier baby's first shoes.  They will certainly want to make certain that you do not lose or ruin them.

Host Garden Tea Parties

Invite moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and children to eat together (for a fee) at tables set up on your backyard patio.  Make it very special with all kinds of table and yard decorations.  Use the "best" china which you can purchase at garage sales. This gives kids the opportunity to practice good manners.  It makes a great alternative from the usual eating at home or the same old resturants in town.

Cafe Press Store

Check out our creations at Cafe Press.

"This is the Home where the Buffalo Roam" in the Home and Garden section.

 Link to us.  Contact us if you wish to have your site listed here as a resource in Day Care or related areas.

Here are some resources to help get you started: 

Links

Articles

Teach Kids Money Skills

Books,DVDs, and Downloads -- Basic Child Care 

Books -- Child Care Activities

Books -- Elder Care -- Activities

Books -- Elder Care -- Basic

Clipart for your Newsletter 

Free Clipart and Web Graphics
Totally free clipart and web graphics, no pop ups, trick links or registration required!

Craft Supplies

Books -- Image Consultant

Books -- Teaching Entrepreneurial Skills

Books -- Teaching Manners

DVD

Gift of Free Handbook and First Aid Book for Babysitters with this DVD Babysitting instructional DVD for aspiring babysitters.

Equipment

First Aid

Pharmaceutical companies
Pharmaceutical databases online, over 100,000 approved prescription drugs, OTC drugs and health products. Include medications, nutritions, supplements, veterinary products, pet meds, cosmetics, drugs active ingredients, pharmaceutical companies

Games That Teach Money Skills

Moms at Home

Image

Sardar & Sons (London) LTD
We are one of the leading manufacturers, wholesalers and exporters of boys 3 pieced suits, 4 pieced suits, 5 pieced suits, dinner suits, tuxedo suits, pageboy suits, wedding suits and girl’s party dresses. Our brand name is ‘Gorgeous collection’.

Instructions

My Baby and More – Because Kids don’t come with Instructions!
Specializing in Parent Coaching and Education, Breastfeeding and Babywearing Support. Home of Near Mama's Heart, by Colleen Newman, a children's book about breastfeeding.  http://www.mybabyandmore.com

Teach Your Children Reading And Writing
How to teach your children reading and writing using phonics and Montessori whether for homeschooling or homework help

How to Babysit

How to make clay for kids

Video

These Kids Mean Business