Find calming activities to ease bedtime with your kids and discover the best ways to foster connection while helping your child unwind. These enjoyable and soothing bedtime ideas are perfect for gently guiding your little ones toward sleep without any resistance.
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Picture cozy pajamas with little toes poking out and snuggling under warm blankets while reading adventure stories. A lovely scene, right? Yet, many nights, bedtime with kids feels more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. The thing is, by the end of the day, I’m beyond exhausted. By 7:30 pm, after a day full of zipping up snow pants, cleaning kitchens, and giving piggyback rides, I’m ready to drop. Then comes the final step that promises a bit of peace and quiet—bedtime.
I find myself reciting “I think I can, I think I can,” just like the Little Engine that Could. But often, I can’t help but feel frustrated and impatient. It’s disheartening to end an otherwise good day with negativity. I know the moments just before sleep can stay with my kids through the night and even into the next day. It’s a vital time to bond, yet getting kids to listen at bedtime is a struggle.
Reflecting on why bedtime feels so stressful, I realize that not only am I tired, but my kids are too. After a day of listening, learning, and playing, they’re also at their limit. I know that enough sleep is crucial for improving their behavior and mood, raising the question: How can I inspire them to follow the bedtime routine while respecting their need to unwind?
Crucially, how do we end the night on a note of love and connection, not frustration? We understand that a strong relationship with our kids is the best motivator for cooperation because human connection is a universal need. Bedtime, however, can trigger anxiety, marking the longest separation from parents all day. If the day was busy with little bonding time, anxiety can spike from unmet needs for connection.
Play is a powerful stress reliever and a primary communication mode for kids. It sparks creativity and laughter which are excellent calming tools. Realizing this, I decided to shift from giving orders to incorporating foolproof strategies focusing on fun, creativity, and connection to make bedtime smoother and reduce anxiety.
Because I completely understand that by evening you may feel drained and unimaginative like me, here’s a list of engaging bedtime routines and activities to ease your child into sleep:
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1. Let everyone pick each other’s pajamas and change together.
2. Hold a family toothbrushing party with music and dancing.
3. Share five things you love about your child.
4. Create a bedtime story starring a family member, and let your child guess who it is.
5. Have a “wheelbarrow race” through the bedtime routine.
6. Play ‘Simon Says’ during the routine.
7. Only communicate by singing.
8. Read a story using a silly voice.
9. Make up your own knock-knock jokes.
10. Use gestures and hand signals only for communication.
11. Choose the wackiest pajamas possible.
12. Have a seriously-strict bedtime with zero laughs allowed.
13. Take the Bedtime Adventure Challenge for fun and bonding.
14. Walk backwards everywhere.
15. Try dressing your child in pajamas while they act as a deadweight.
16. Switch roles and pretend to be each other.
17. Challenge yourselves to see how many stuffed animals fit in bed.
18. Choose and imitate an animal throughout the routine.
19. Role-play a favorite historical character.
20. Make a ‘YouTube’ video about the bedtime routine.
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21. Enjoy each other’s favorite songs together.
22. Brush each other’s teeth.
23. Hold a race to see who finishes the routine first—parent or child.
24. Plan breakfast for the next day.
25. Put on a shadow puppet show.
26. Try a guided meditation (use apps like Breathe Kids).
27. Do some fun yoga poses.
28. Use calming essential oils like lavender.
29. Write poems together.
30. Role-play a team sport while getting ready.
31. Journal together or side by side.
32. Work on a puzzle.
33. Play a board game.
34. Collaborate on a LEGO project.
35. Write a song together.
36. Share the day’s ‘roses and thorns.’
37. Pray together.
38. List ten things you’re grateful for.
39. Enjoy a one-on-one bedtime snack.
40. Rock your big kid like a baby and sing to them.
41. Color in a calming book.
42. Host a mini tea time.
43. Try a calming body scan exercise.
44. Knit with your fingers using pretty yarn.
45. Listen to an audiobook.
46. Give each other massages.
47. Style each other’s hair.
48. Pick outfits for the next day.
49. Stick glow stars on the ceiling and make a wish.
50. Exchange favorite memories.
51. Discuss every feeling experienced today.
52. Make a blanket taco or burrito.
53. Share an embarrassing childhood story.
54. Look through a family photo album.
55. Take the loved stuffed animal through the routine too.
56. Share bedtime stories using a flashlight circle.
57. Dive into your family tree.
Ending the day on a positive note of love, connection, and fun will make bedtime easier for everyone. Sending a happy and fulfilled child to bed just in time to catch a TV show sounds like a win-win.
**Related Read**: 125 Positive Affirmations for Kids to Boost Strength, Confidence, and Self-Love.
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**About Angela Pruess LMFT**
Hi, I’m Angela! A licensed children’s mental health professional and positive parenting coach. As a mom to spirited kids, they keep me growing every day. I believe every child deserves to live their best life, with emotional health being the key to lifelong success and happiness. Read more about me and our mission at Parents with Confidence.
