Bedtime Games for Kids

Games to Enliven the Routine

• Turn bedtime into a treasure hunt. Hide the items your child needs to get ready for bed, such as his pajamas and toothbrush, around his bedroom. Call out an item and challenge your child to find it as fast as possible. Once he finds the item, he uses it to get ready for bed. For example, if you call out pajamas, as soon as he finds them, he has to put them on. When he finds his toothbrush, he has to head straight to the bathroom to brush. Play a beat-the-clock game in a similar way. Remind your child what he has to do to get ready for bed, set the timer and see if he can be in bed before the timer goes off. If he wins, reward him with an extra bedtime story or a few extra minutes of cuddling together.

Games in the Dark

• Once your child is in bed, it can be challenging to get him to stay there. Try playing some games with the lights out so he's able to get comfortable and relaxed enough to stay in bed. Turn on a nightlight and take turns doing shadow puppets on the wall and guessing what each other is creating. Another game is I Spy from memory. Think of something in your child's room and have your child ask questions about it, trying to guess what you're thinking of without actually being able to see it. Give your child a flashlight to flick on and off as he tries to guess. Switch places and let your child think of an item.

Story time Games

• Bring a game element into story time to help your child settle for sleep. Instead of reading a story, draw a story on your child's back, which is just as soothing as a traditional back rub. Switch places and let your child tell a story on your back. When you do read books, finish one page and challenge your child to guess what's going to happen next. Keep reading to see if he's right. If your child is learning to read, ask him to point out certain words in the text. Tell a story together as another story time game. Start the story and then let your child tell the next part. Continue switching back and forth until the story is over.

Time to Sleep Games

• When it's actually time to close eyes and go to sleep, play some calming games. For example, ask your child to get comfortable and then stay as still as a statue. Hang out for a few minutes to see if your child can fool you into thinking he's asleep when he's actually just being a statue. Often, a child will fall asleep after a couple rounds of this game simply because he's lying so still and quiet. Another game is to allow your child to put his stuffed animals to bed. Let him arrange his stuffed animals where he wants them to sleep, cover them up and perhaps tell them a story. This game is relaxing, and can help your child be more willing to go to sleep himself.