Call it the perfect alternative to standard-procedure baby-sitting. The Mad Platter pottery studios has started offering a special “Kids Night Out” event that’s making Saturday nights more satisfying for kids and parents alike.

“Moms and Dads love it because they know their kids aren’t just sitting at home watching TV with a baby sitter,” says Dahlia Halpern, who co-owns the Mad Platter with former classmate Meredith Moore-Painter.

“We try to get the kids to use their imagination.”

Halpern isn’t kidding. Kids Night Out serves up a platter full of creative activities, most of which help kids explore their inner artist.

First off, there’s the pottery painting. The kids get to hand-select a piece of pottery, decorate it however they wish, and take it home at the end of the night. Aside from the painting, kids enjoy a number of arts-and-crafts-related activities, an occasional movie, and a pizza dinner. The highlight of the night, however, is a karaoke contest.

“The karaoke is probably the kids’ favorite part,” Halpern says. “They love singing Hannah Montana and High School Musical — all that Disney stuff.”

While the kids are soaking up the spotlight, their parents get enjoy four hours of freedom, and some invaluable peace of mind.

“We’ve got a lot of staff, so parents can rest assured that [their kids] are in a safe environment,” Halpern says. “By the end of the night, none of them want to leave!”

• Kids Night Out occurs the first and third Saturdays of every month at Mad Platter’s Battleground location (2921-A Battleground Ave). The drop off time is from 6–7 p.m. and kids must be picked up by 10 p.m. The cost is $35 for the first child, and $20 per sibling. For more information, you can call The Mad Platter at 336-540-9823 or go to madplatterpottery.com.