Bedtime can be tricky – you know the kids need entertaining and activity until sleep time, but you don’t want them to get too excited or become overtired and refuse to call it a day.
Our sister Caxton publication, Living and Loving, has these suggestions:
I Spy
Go through story books or a family album, and ask your child to spot certain items or people. For example, say “Spot the yellow bunny”, or “Find the picture of Daddy wearing a hat and smiling”.
Hide and seek
In order to make a “game” of getting ready for bed, hide all your child’s bedtime stuff (e.g. pyjamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, reading book, and soft toys/dolls). As soon as he finds each one, he’ll need to act on it, e.g. dress in his pyjamas, brush his teeth, and put his soft toy animal “to bed”. Before he’s even aware of it, he’ll be ready for bed!
Garden walk
Before bed, you can get some fresh air and a little activity without overtiring or over-stimulating you toddler.
Get torches, switch off the outdoor lights, and go for a little garden walk while looking out for insects and listening to night sounds. End off by saying goodnight to all the creatures outdoors, e.g. owls, crickets and bats.
Scavenger hunt
Create an “event” of picking up toys at the end of the day by announcing a scavenger hunt. You can give your child a hat, torch and bag, and announce what he needs to look for, e.g. books or blocks. Once he’s found them, he’ll need to put them in the correct place – with your help, if necessary. At the end, you can provide a “reward” such as a sticker or an extra bedtime story.
Puppet show
Use your fingers – or puppets if you like – to create a little show or story for your child. You could even “project” it onto the ceiling with the lights off and using a torch to create a shadow. Your child can even create his own little characters.
Pixabay
A–Z
Each night, ask your child to think of as many words as possible using each letter of the alphabet. Each night, build up more anticipation as you work through the alphabet.
Journalling
Keep a drawing pad or scrapbook with some crayons or pencils by your child’s bed, and ask him to draw about his day, or sweet dreams he’d like to have, or what he’s looking forward to the next day.
Newsreader
Ask your child to pretend he’s a newsreader on TV, and ask him fora full report of the news for the day.
It could be funny or serious, and you could give a news report too.
Guessing games
Choose something in your child’s room, and have him guess what object you’ve picked. Give him clues, e.g. the shape, colour, and what it’s used for.
