Activities to Wear Out Children So They Will Sleep

Sports

• What better way to keep your child active and burn off enough energy to make him sleepy when night falls than his favorite sport? The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry notes that sports can help kids improve physical abilities and get exercise. Picture your little one chasing a soccer ball down a grassy field, running the bases of a T-ball game, swimming laps or swinging at a tennis ball. The more active your child is -- within reason, of course -- the more energy he will use. Getting in the recommended amount of physical activity -- 60 minutes per day, according to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education -- will not only help your child get healthier, but will also wear him out enough to, hopefully, get a full night's sleep.

Social Activities

• Solitary activities, especially sedentary or passive ones such as playing on the computer or watching TV, won't do much to wear out your little one. If you are looking to keep your child active enough to help him get to sleep easily, opt for a social gathering. This doesn't mean that you have to throw a preschool party or invite the entire neighborhood to your home. Instead, schedule a play-date with one or two other kids. Make sure to organize the day's activities to ensure that boredom doesn't set in. For example, encourage your child and his friend to play on the backyard swing set, try a game of tag or create their own toy car race.

Outdoor Activities

• Athletics aren't the only activities that can tire your child out while she's outside. If your child doesn't enjoy organized sports, wear her out by taking her outdoors for an active adventure. Although some parents may think of physical activities as games such as soccer, basketball or swimming, the professionals at Kids Health note that walking is also a perfectly viable way for children to get their exercise in. Take your child on a walk around the neighborhood, a hike at a local park or a nature stroll through your backyard's woods.

Pretend Play

• Instead of sitting your tot in front of the tube, allow him to use his own imagination to create stories and scenarios. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics' Healthy Children website, preschoolers enjoy spending time engaging in fantasy play. Wear your child out during the day by planning plenty of pretend play activities in which he can burn up his energy. Re-enact a family scene in a pretend play kitchen, set up a play cash register and have him "work" as a retail professional in his own fashion drama, or use puppets to act out his favorite book. Pretend play activities such as these allow your child to use both his physical and mental abilities. This will help to wear him out in multiple ways and get him ready for a restful night of sleep.