5 Activities to help your child not be scared of the dark
Darkness is rapidly stealing our evenings which means it can come with advantages and disadvantages. It can promote little ones to go to sleep earlier but also could effect them with being scared and not wanting to sleep due to feeling wary of the dark. Here are 5 activities that can help little one not fear the dark….
Glow in the Dark Bath
Starting off with one of my favourite play ideas of all time. Activate around 5 glow sticks and place in the bath tub. Fill water and turn the lights off. Works really well with bubble bath and gives a cool fun edge to your little ones bath time.
Story Books/Story Activities
There are some lovely story books that can be helpful to introduce dark nights and make them a little less scary. Some books you can find:
"The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark"- Jill Tomlinson
"Stardust"- Jeanne Willis and Briony May Smith
"I'm not (very) Afraid of the Dark"-Anna Milbourne
Adding toys prompts throughout reading the book can help with creative play as well as keeping the book engaging.
Fairy Jam Jar
Use a clean jam jar and break a glow into the jam jar. Add 3 teaspoons of water and then tightly add the lid. Give to little one to shake and create a fun magical “fairy jar”. you can make a few with different colours to have a temporary night light.
Treasure Hunt
Place toys or even treats either in your garden or in a safe space with the lights turned off. Let little ones explore with a torch to go find toys/treats around the space. Bonus if you add a map to help find the items too! Have fun and explore!
Shadow Play
Continuing using a torch or lamp shine onto a flat wall while lights are off. Let little ones explore shadows and hands. As they get older help them make shapes and introduce propts to help create new shapes! Perfect for after school or childcare down time.