Child's Play

Eugene is convinced that children simply don't like him - so when Katrina volunteers the two of them to babysit eight-year-old Kyle and seven-year-old Joy for a whole weekend, he braces for disaster. Sure enough, Kyle bats tennis balls over the fence until Eugene can barely stand, while Joy fires off endless "why" questions that stump even Katrina... including where God came from. A trip to Whit's End for marshmallow-catching records and an Imagination Station adventure only leaves the babysitters more worn out than ever. But when Kyle gets sick from too much candy, Eugene swallows his embarrassment and sings him to sleep, and Katrina tells a worried Joy that her curious mind is a gift from God. By the time their mother returns, the kids declare Eugene and Katrina the best babysitters they've ever had - and it's the song and the encouragement they remember most. Now the house feels awfully quiet, and Eugene is already planning for the next visit.

Found on The Deep End Album 55 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0706 To Mend or Repair When fixing things is all you know, Eugene must learn that a grieving heart isn't a machine to repair.

0707 Mistaken for Good A reluctant errand to a retirement home turns complicated when a lonely resident mistakes Jay for her grandson - and the money starts flowing.

1 of 4 0708 Sergeant York A reckless Tennessee sharpshooter's wild ways collide with tragedy, faith, and a war he wants no part of.

2 of 4 0709 Sergeant York A backwoods Tennessee sharpshooter who believes killing is a sin is drafted into the Army, forcing him to choose between his conscience and his country.

3 of 4 0710 Sergeant York A young man of deep faith must climb a mountain alone to decide whether his conscience will let him carry a rifle into the Great War.

4 of 4 0711 Sergeant York A reluctant soldier who hates killing must find a way to save his trapped comrades from deadly machine-gun fire.

0712 Child's Play When a childless couple agrees to babysit two energetic kids for the weekend, they discover that connecting with children takes more than careful planning.

1 of 2 0713 Something Old, Something New A bogus wedding invitation and a suspicious art deal throw Odyssey into delightful chaos as Connie battles a rumor she can't stop and two young detectives finally land a real mystery.

2 of 2 0714 Something Old, Something New An old flame's return to Odyssey - with a fiancée who looks suspiciously familiar - turns a welcome-home party into a tangle of secrets, suspicion, and second thoughts.

1 of 2 0715 The Perfect Church A boy disillusioned with his squabbling modern church travels back to the early days of Christianity, expecting to find a perfectly united congregation.

2 of 2 0716 The Perfect Church When the Imagination Station drops Matthew into the persecuted early church, he discovers that the "perfect" first Christians were anything but - and that their struggles might hold the answer to his own doubts about church.

0717 Great Expectations When a grueling school project makes Emily question her lifelong dream of becoming a judge, Whit takes her on an Imagination Station journey through the dreams - kept, changed, and abandoned - of his own life.

0718 For Three Dollars More When Barrett grumbles about putting three dollars in the offering plate, the Room of Consequence gets three very different chances to show him what his choice could really cost.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 5 more roles

5 supporting roles

Moses Roger Greer Joy Michaela Dean Kyle (b) Dartanian Sloan Rhonda Actor Unknown Grumbling Israelite Actor Unknown

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Marshal Younger Writer Bob Hoose Director · Producer Christopher Diehl Sound Designer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

After helping with a child’s birthday party at Whit’s End, Eugene concludes that children do not like him. He even suggests that perhaps it is just as well that he and Katrina cannot have children. Katrina does not share his bleak conclusion. When their friend Rhonda needs someone to watch eight-year-old Kyle and seven-year-old Joy for the weekend, Katrina volunteers. She tells Eugene that even if they cannot raise children of their own, they can still pour their love into the lives of others.

Eugene prepares an ambitious schedule of educational activities, but Kyle wants to play baseball. Lacking proper equipment, Eugene fashions a bat from a piece of pipe and pitches a tennis ball. Kyle repeatedly knocks it over the fence, leaving Eugene to scramble after it until he is exhausted. Inside, Joy asks Katrina to bake cookies, make paper dolls, play music, and answer one question after another. Her endless chain of “why” questions eventually reaches subjects as large as where God came from, and Katrina struggles to keep up.

Hoping for a little relief, Eugene and Katrina take the children to Whit’s End. Wooton helps Kyle try to break the mini-marshmallow-catching record, and Kyle reaches forty-eight. Connie guides Joy through the Bible Room and an Imagination Station adventure with Moses, but even Connie finally retreats from Joy’s tireless questions. The children have a wonderful time while their worn-out babysitters wonder whether they are suited to caring for them at all.

That night, Kyle becomes sick after eating too much candy. Eugene gives him medicine and stays by his bed. When Kyle says that his mother sings whenever he is ill, Eugene overcomes his embarrassment and sings to comfort him. Elsewhere, Joy admits that other babysitters avoid her because she asks too many questions. Katrina assures her that curiosity is a gift and that God may use her questioning mind to help change the world.

When Rhonda returns, Kyle and Joy call Eugene and Katrina the best babysitters they have ever had. Their favorite memories are not the spectacular entertainments at Whit’s End, but Eugene’s song and Katrina’s encouragement. After the children leave, the house feels strangely quiet. Eugene and Katrina already miss them, and Eugene begins planning to have proper baseball equipment ready for the next visit.