Many people have heard of “wine and paint nights,” but the Dartmouth YMCA has come up with a better, kid-friendly idea: Paint, pancakes, and pajama night.

The event was one of the YMCA’s “Kid’s Night Out” series, which recurs roughly every other month. The Y provides kids with fun activities while parents get some time to themselves.

“It’s called Kid’s Night Out, but it’s really parent’s night out,” said Rochelle Whalen, Membership and Program Director.

Each event includes dinner and an activity, and is also an opportunity for kids to hang out and have fun doing things like trying out new dance moves or playing with legos.

This particular night has been in the works since December, partly inspired by Whalen’s family tradition of having chocolate chip pancakes on Christmas. That also gave Destiny Rodriguez, a group leader, and Nessa Peterson, site director, plenty of time to put together matching unicorn pajama and slipper sets.

After a dinner of pancakes (chocolate chips optional), the kids each got to paint their own canvases, either free-hand or using tape to block out areas and create geometric designs.

Lily Weisberg, 6, painted a landscape with a UFO coming in for a landing.

“Aliens are in the spaceship,” she explained.

Nia Gomes painted an abstract piece using a special technique to create a splatter effect: Holding one finger out, she tapped her paintbrush against it to send droplets of paint onto the canvas.

Gomes hopes to go to art school one day.

There will be another Kid’s Night Out in March, and a Fortnite Nerf Night when the weather warms up. The YMCA is also accepting registration for summer camps and a February vacation day camp.

For more information about upcoming events at the YMCA, go to www.ymcasouthcoast.org/locations/dartmouth.