Disclosure: This is a collaborative post about kids bedtime.
Holidays with kids are always a rush. When visiting a new destination, kids seem to have much more energy than usual, they want to see everything that’s on offer, and when it comes to bedtime, it can be quite hard to get them to wind down and get a good night’s sleep! That’s why picking up a few pre bedtime activities is key to keeping them well rested and ready for the day ahead.
The aim here is to lull your kids’ energy to a state where they start to feel tired and like they want to go to bed, but without making bedtime a boring and dull activity. After all, the rest of the holiday is going to be so fun and they’re rarely going to get a moment of quiet calm and peace!
Whether you’re staying in a hotel, you’ve pitched a tent, or you’ve hooked a caravan up to a campsite, these activities are easy to try out and won’t require much specialist planning. Give them a go if you’re dealing with grumpy kids when waking up in the morning!
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Read a Book All Together
Storytime is an age-old bedtime tradition. Getting cosy under blankets and reading a book all together gets a child’s imagination wandering, but in a contained space where they don’t have to play make believe.
They’re tucked up in bed listening to the dulcet tones of your voice, and they can turn the pages, point out the pictures, and even take turns to voice the different characters. That’s a lot of heavy lifting for a child!
Let them choose the book to make sure you retain their attention then slowly work your way through. Take your time to keep the pace of the activity slow too.
Play a Board Game That Requires a Bit of Thinking
Board games are fun, educational, and if you’re playing with ‘quick rules’, you can get through a couple of games before it’s time for bed. The kids still get to have fun and everyone gets involved, but you only need some floor space and the kids can be in their pjs.
Alternatively, break out a more traditional game like chess that still requires a good bit of thinking – travel sets for these kinds of games tend to be easier to transport! And while the kids are thinking over the rules, they’re using up a good bit of their mental energy and will soon be ready to settle down for the night.
Put a Jigsaw Together
Jigsaws are pretty self explanatory. Dump all the pieces out of the plastic seal bag, flip them all over so you can see what you’re working with, and start by putting together the four corners. Easy enough for kids and adults alike, but you’ll still spend a bit of energy in a fun and safe way that’ll keep things calm.
There’s a lot of jigsaw puzzles for kids that you can buy at any shop, so you won’t need to look high and low for a suitable set. Buy a few when you find them on the shelf and use them night after night when you’ve had long adventurous days. When the kids start yawning and rubbing their eyes, you can then tell them they can get into bed and finish the jigsaw tomorrow.
Ask What They Want to Do Before Bed
Sometimes the kids know better than anyone else what it’ll take to get them to feel sleepy. If the kids have been chatting away in bed for a while and you’re concerned they’re not going to get enough kip, get them up again and ask what they’d prefer to do right now.
Of course, this has to be within reason, but if there are colouring books or jigsaw puzzles available, offer them out for 20 minutes or so. The kids might end up lulling themselves to sleep after only 10, or they might end up finally feeling ready to hit the pillow and have lights out.
Bedtime needs to be a calm and restful situation, but it shouldn’t be something the kids feel they have to do in a way that makes them bored and uncomfortable. Giving them an option like this can really help.
Making use of a few pre bedtime activities when you’re on holiday is always a good idea! If you need to, help your kids wind down with some fun yet calm things once bathtime is over and they’ve brushed their teeth.