Adventures in Babysitting

It’s a quandary most working parents face: Your kids have the day off, but you don’t. Keeping them safe and happy while you work can be challenging. But two local working moms have a new option: Tripster. 

Founded by Jamie Seward and Heidi Kenny-Berman, Tripster offers activity-based child care for ages 6 and up at a cost comparable to babysitting. Activities range from sleeping overnight with the penguins at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore to visiting Philadelphia’s The Franklin Institute. Each activity includes a healthy meal and snacks, and is supervised by background-checked staffers certified in CPR and first aid. 

“We like to keep the ratio [of kids to adults] really small, so that we make sure the kids are well-supervised,” says Seward, who met Kenny-Berman through their kids, who all attend Calvert School. (They each have two children.) 

For the holidays, Tripster is offering a “Day After Thanksgiving Fun Day” at Roland Park’s Mathnasium, and Seward suggests logging on to their website, for further events. “We’re hoping that people continue to check us out and see what we have to offer.”