Fun work is hard to come by! Many people find their jobs so incredibly boring. Mind-numbingly clock-watching stuff. But there are lots of fun job options out there. At Koru Kids, we have two jobs that fit the ‘fun work’ bill beautifully: nannying, and childminding.
Want to work in childcare?
Enter the nanny hero
When you’re thinking about fun jobs, nannying is no surprise. Spending a few hours a day caring for kids is famously fun work. And you can make it more fun by coming up with your own games and activities. Whether you’re into drawing and painting; board-games; playing in the park; or cooking up a storm, nannying is one big adventure.
Here’s what some of our nannies have to say about the role.
Charlotte
“Seeing the world through a child’s eyes, even for a few hours each day, is such an uplifting thing to experience.”
Ayah
“I love working with Koru Kids, they match you up with families pretty quickly and the families are so so lovely to work with and form close bonds with. The Koru kids teams are so kind and very helpful and responsive and get everything done for you super quick. Good pay and good benefits and a very fun and rewarding job.”
Tom
“I heard about Koru Kids through a friend who was also with Koru Kids and I kept seeing them online; I already wanted to be a nanny and Koru Kids was the first name I thought of. I’m a creative person and I think that’s a big part of being a nanny—it’s really rewarding. It’s a chance every day to exercise your creativity being with kids. It’s so rewarding. The kids are so enthusiastic.”
You can get really silly with kids, and really creative. The more silly and creative, the better. Be that fun adult in their lives that lets them just be kids. When children can tell you’re having fun at work, they will be happier and better behaved too.
Being appreciated makes work fun
Everything is much more enjoyable when the people you work for appreciate you. A good nanny is really worth their weight in gold—more, if you’re a parent and know what we’re talking about. Here’s how much our parents love and appreciate the nannies that work with them.
Courtney family
“Maria is affectionate and caring. She is always trying to find new and engaging activities for our daughter. We text almost every day, and chat in the evening. We are very grateful to have you in our family, and Natalie has been happy and content from the beginning. Thank you for everything!”
Shah family
“I am so happy Marina has joined us, as she has become such an important person in our lives. I really think she is teaching great values to my kids. Thank you for what you do for us every day!”
Tanner family
“We’ve had a fantastic experience so far. Koru Kids found us a lovely nanny just before the start of term. She’s great with the kids and really trustworthy and reliable. The Koru Kids system is extremely straightforward and clear which is helpful for us and for her. The support, advice and info from Koru Kids has always been really responsive and useful.”
When you’re an amazing nanny, the family you work with knows it. Get ready to feel the love. And launch into some of the most fun work you have ever done. So let the good times roll. Get your glitter out. Get your batter on. And be a hero nanny.
Childminder, or small world champion?
Just like nannying, childminding can be really rewarding, fun work. Koru Kids childminders take an outdoor-based approach, which means you get to spend loads of time in the fresh air. Who doesn’t love a job where you get to explore, and get muddy? Get stuck in digging for worms. Lie on your back and watch the clouds together on a sunny day. (Yes, quite literally cloud-watching on the job.) Make home-made play dough. Talk about why it rains, and splash that puddle like there’s no tomorrow.
Fun work with your own kids
When you are a childminder, you can even look after your own kids while you’re working. For many parents, that’s the dream! The ability to earn money without having to send their baby to nursery. To have that close bond and watch them grow. What makes it even better is that your children get new playmates, but in a small group, so it’s all cozy and family-like.
Here’s how much fun you can have as a childminder:
Abi
“My fondest moment was when I had to break the news to the children that I WAS a grown up! This one little girl in particular actually thought I was a ‘big kid’ and didn’t understand why I couldn’t attend her birthday sleepover! I was invited to all the parties, and I went down every slide! I asked her why she thought I was a ‘big kid’ and she told me because I was so fun and had a lot of energy, not like a ‘normal grown up’. She literally thought I was a ‘special big kid’ who was allowed to drive.”
Leah
“I loved being involved in the children’s learning and development. It’s so rewarding watching them grow and develop! Being a big kid at heart myself, it’s so much fun playing and interacting with the children. Getting creative and messy and listening to their ideas. The bond that is built up over the time the children spent with me is so lovely and the positive feedback from the parents that the children speak so highly of you is so heart warming. I still keep in touch now and love hearing how the children are getting on!”
Lianne
“My favourite part of being a childminder was experiencing those beautiful little ‘light-bulb’ moments when the children figured something out for the first time, like fitting a shape into the sorter, watching the leaves fall from trees, or even waiting for the rainbow to appear because it’s raining. I never tired of washing the smushed up nose prints (including my own!) off my glass door while we watched for the rainbows. Favourite memories are digging fresh veggies in the allotment, and coming home to cook them for lunch with the kiddies. Their little smiles when they realised they were eating something that was in the ground an hour earlier was always funny to see. Endless games of peekaboo, or reading books, or dress up, or stomping in muddles—I wouldn’t change these memories for the world. And the best part; I got to experience these with my own children as well!”
Fun at work = sharing it with friends
Work is so much easier when you have people around you to enjoy it with. We have a warm community of childminders and nannies at Koru Kids, who lean on each other for friendship and support. Even the free training is a lot of fun. Outdoor learning training involves a full day outside with other childcarers. Who can make the biggest raft? The snazziest leaf-crown? Climb the highest tree? Time to be a big kid again!
Fun work from your own home
While nannies work in the family’s home, childminders work from their own home. Banish the pant-suit! Throw away the tie! It’s time to get into your most practical—and cosiest—trousers, ready for an adventure in the playground. This is working from home, with a difference.
Fun work you’re passionate about
In the end, working with kids is only fun if you love spending time with kids. It’s the very first quality we look for in any nanny or childminder that applies to work with us. So whether you’re looking for fun part-time work, or a fun full-time role, you’ve got to ask yourself: do I love kids? Do I want to make a big difference? And do I want to be a family hero? If the answer is yes, time to take on the happiest job in the world.
Want to work in childcare?
