How to Make Bedtime Fun for Kids

Time for bed? Help your little ones look forward to tucking in with these top tips...

The day is nearly up but there’s one final parenting duty to attend to: putting the little ones to bed. After a day of excitement, it can be hard for kids to settle down, but a bedtime routine, with the perfect balance of fun and play, helps them look forward to going to bed.

Sleep allows kids to restore and recharge, but we get it, going into a dark room and going to sleep isn’t the most exciting prospect for an under-five. Here’s how to inject some fun into their nightly routine to make bedtime more welcome, when it comes..

Move it

You may think movement or exercise is the last thing children need before bed; but it actually helps to release any built-up energy left from the day. Slow movements like stretching can aid better quality of sleep, regulate your nervous system and improve strength. Try some kid-friendly stretches or simple yoga moves like ‘child’s pose’ or ‘downward dog’ to help them wind down before bedtime. Join in the fun, so you can get some stretching in, too!

Build Together

Little ones can be at their most vocal when it’s time for bed! Sit together and play for a time with some LEGO® DUPLO® bricks. Building and talking gives your little one a chance to get those deep life questions off their chest while calmly getting creative.

You could role-play bedtime with a brick-built bed and a little LEGO DUPLO figure. Talk about the figure’s evening routine, and how they’re yawning and starting to feel tired. Follow your child’s lead as they play and babble to their heart’s content, until you spot the signs that tell you they’re tired!

Did you know that building with LEGO bricks is a form of mindfulness for adults, too? Just saying!

Splashing around!

For many kids, baths are the ultimate wind-down (and for grown-ups too, for that matter!). Splashing, laughing, pouring and popping bubbles in the warm water helps to end the day on a happy note for all. Not to mention, bath time helps develop sensory motor skills in young children, especially when they have objects to play with in the bath.

Check out our Ways to Make Bathtime Fun article for even more tips on this!

Story time

Cozying up to read a book together is calming and fun, whisking little ones off to new worlds, teaching them new words and seeing vibrant pictures of much-loved characters. Picture books help very little ones start to build language skills through the repetition of words, and many baby books have a fun, sensory element, too, with materials to scratch, stroke and feel.

Books for slightly older kids help nurture their imagination and develop emotional skills as they relate to the story’s characters. Perhaps they’d like to have a cuddly toy snuggle in and enjoy the story with them, too?

When they’re old enough, audiobooks are a great way to continue the magic! You could even record your own voice reading their favorite stories, so your child can feel your comforting presence once you’ve left the room!

A dreamy setting

Transform your child’s bedroom from day to night with a relaxing light show! Whether it’s sticking glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, using a projector to create a mesmerizing display or using a soft, color-changing night light, mood lighting can have a calming impact on kids at bedtime.

Lie back on the floor together, or lay them back in your arms, and enjoy the show together!

Bedtime lullabies

Soothe your little one before bed with their favorite lullaby or nursery rhyme. Perhaps you’ll sing them the same song each night, so they have a familiar bedtime tune that they know signals sleep time. Or perhaps there’s a song that was sung to you as a child, which you want to pass down to them? Cute!

Bedtime can be a truly special time for parents and children. It’s the perfect time to chill, bond, cuddle and wind down together. We hope our tips for making bedtime more fun make for sweet dreams all round!