Is bedtime one of the most stressful times of the day? If you are having problems, you may like to try some of these Relax Kids exercises....all devised to help your child relax and sleep, so letting you be free to enjoy the whole evening.

Relaxing Games

• Sleeping Beauty - Ask your child to imagine they are Sleeping Beauty or someone in the palace.  Imagine there has been a spell cast over the whole palace and they have to lie very still not moving a muscle.
• Sleepy Starfish - Ask your child to lie down on their back, with their legs and arms apart. Stay very still and imagine they are a sleepy starfish resting at the bottom of the ocean. Breathe in and, as they breathe out relax the arms. Breathe in and as they breathe out, relax the legs. Breathe in, and as they breathe out, relax the head. See how still they can be at the bottom of the ocean, resting like a sleepy starfish.
• Sleeping Lions Get your child to roar as loud as you can and tense the whole of their body for the count of ten and then lie down on the bed as still as they can.

Breathing Exercises

• Get your child to lie on their back and breathe into their stomach.  Pop a small toy or piece of paper on their stomach and let them watch it go up and down gently as they breathe in and out.
• Ask your child to take in a deep breath and as they breathe in, breath in a feeling of deep peace and quiet and as they breathe out and send peace and quiet into the room.

Massage

• Try stroking your child’s face or palms.  Circling their palm in a clockwise direction with your thumb is very restful.
• Give your child a wonderful head massage.
• Get your child to lie on their back and imagine their arms and legs are floppy like cooked spaghetti.  Lift their arms and legs one by one giving them a little wiggle to check if they are relaxed.

More tips and exercises

• If you have a digital radio, you might like to tune into fun radio or   At 1pm , every weekday, listen to a 4 min Relax Kids relaxation which is perfect for getting the children ready for dreamland.
• There are lotsmore exercises and relaxation tipson thewebsitefor you to print off and practise at home. If you have any friends who might benefit from from the Relax Kids VIP Newsletter, (regular updates, offers, competitions, freebies, top tips and Relax Kids secrets) please feel free to email this page.