I believe people who fall in love with Park City are just big kids who can’t get enough of the outdoors and adventure. But Park City is a great place for real kids, too…both in terms of raising them and vacationing with them.
That said, when you’re a visitor in Park City, there may be times where you want to venture out without the littles. Whether it’s a night on the town or a ski date with a loved one, you shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting a little adult time on your vacation.
There are several options for child care in Park City, and the best one depends on the type of service you’re seeking.
Sitters for PNO: Parents’ Night Out
Park City nightlife is really something to write home about. Films, musical acts, dining, bars and special events are just some of the reasons you’ll definitely want to head out after dark on your trip.
Park City Sitters is consistently rated “Best of Park City” by locals. Albeit pricey, this is a reliable service that vets sitters with a face to face interview, multiple reference checks and a background check. All sitters are CPR certified. Rates range from $29 to $59 per hour depending on the date and number of children. Visit ParkCitySitters.com for details.
Mother Goose of Utah is a local, Salt Lake-based service that also serves the Park City area. When you want the sitter to come to your rental house or hotel, you’ll trust their well-vetted team. Another great feature they offer is rentals of child gear such as Pack and Plays, in case you didn’t want to lug yours! More at MotherGooseOfUtah.com.
Guardian Angels of Utah is another local to Utah service with a Park City arm. Rates start at $22 per hour and go up for holidays and number of children. In addition to renting baby gear, they also provide grocery delivery which is a great service for parents! GuardianAngelBaby.com
The Little Gym offers Parent Survival Nights on various evenings throughout the year, typically Fridays. These run from 6:00pm to 9:00pm and are a great timeframe for you to catch a cocktail and dinner before getting to bed at a decent hour. Feed the kids early and send them off to play in a safe environment.
Child Care for a Day Date
Skiing with your kids is one of the most magical things in the world. I love the quote from Oprah, “Skiing is the next best thing to having wings”. But sometimes you need to give your little ones the wings to venture out on their own. Luckily, Park City has a few great drop-in child care options during the day.
The Kids Cabin, with locations in Prospector and Kimball Junction, has three convenient programs. Full-day, half day or up to two hours while you work out at the Silver Mountain Spa & Fitness Center. Available by reservation only, visit TheKidsCabinParkCity.com for info.
The Little Adventures Children’s Center at Park City Mountain Resort (Canyons Village) is for children 6 weeks through 6 years. Four different programs are available based on age range, with the older kids taking a gondola ride for snow play. The Riperoo program allows you to add on a 1-hour private ski lesson that includes everything from rental equipment to the lift ticket. ParkCityMountain.com
Deer Valley Resort’s Children’s Center offers skiing and non-skiing program for children 2 months to 12 years. Half-day morning and full-day programs are available and include a variety of storytelling, art projects, singing and imagination. Ski programs are offered for potty-trained children starting at age 3, and go all the way to age 17 (“Teen Escape”). Info at DeerValley.com.
Just Need Time to Get The Wiggles Out
If you don’t necessarily need to leave your child but just need an activity for them to get some energy out or some social time with other kids, there are a few great options.
Basin Recreation opens up the indoor fieldhouse to tots every weekday from 10:30 to 12:00 noon for open play. They have bounce houses and you can even bring your kid’s bike if they have one. Come chat with other parents and get a little adult time while your child runs around. They also offer a workout class called Power Hour where children are allowed. BasinRecreation.org
The Little Gym in Prospector offers a variety of programs and classes with or without parents for ages 0 months to 12 years. They are new in town so be sure to check them out and report back on your experience!
Black Diamond Gymnastics in Kimball Junction has a variety of classes and programs for kids, including the ever-popular “Open Workout”. There are two age ranges for Open Workout, 1-5 years (currently held on Fridays and Saturdays) and 5-18 years (currently held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Let your small and big kids run around on the bouncy floors and jump in the foam pits. Advanced reservations recommended. BlackDiamondGym.com
Hello Music has a Park City branch that offers Music Together classes near the Spring Creek Trailhead in Kimball Junction. This is a fun, teacher-led time for parents to sit with kids, babies through preschool, and play together musically. While most programs run 10 weeks, they do offer some shorter options. See the schedule at HelloMusicMT.com.
National Sitter Placement Services
Although I have no direct experience with these options, there are national sitter services that run in Park City. Check out Care.com and Urban Sitter for information.
Like many things in Park City’s busy season, these services can fill up quickly. Be sure to reserve your spot in advance. If something changes with a service I’ve outlined above, please leave it in the comments for others to see! And if you have a service you love that I didn’t mention, I’d be happy to add it, so leave me a comment.
Happy Family Vacationing!
Nancy