One torch, a dark room and a basket of shadow puppets and coloured cellophane. Bedtime resistance turns into the best half hour of the evening.
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In winter it is dark here by five and the long evening stretch used to be the hardest part of my day. Then we started the torch basket, and the dark became the activity instead of the problem.
A torch changes a familiar room completely. The hallway becomes a cave, the ceiling becomes a night sky, and the same toys they ignored all day suddenly cast enormous shadows on the wall.
It is also wonderfully calm. Low light lowers everyone's volume, including mine.
Wait until the room is properly dim, then hand over the torch. The first five minutes of free exploring are important — let them just shine it everywhere.
Shadow zoo: line up toy animals on a shelf, put the torch behind them and watch the shadows stretch across the wall. Move the torch closer and further and see the animals grow and shrink.
Puppet show: cut simple shapes from card, tape each to a stick, and perform behind the sheet with the torch shining from behind.
Colour magic: stretch cellophane over the lens with a rubber band and see what happens to the room. Layer two colours and see what new colour appears.
Shadow drawing: hold an object so its shadow lands on paper taped to the wall, then trace around the shadow with a pencil.
Torch hunt: hide five small objects around a dim room and search for them with the beam only, like a night-time treasure hunt.
Finish lying on the floor with the torch pointed at the ceiling, talking quietly. It is the easiest transition to bed I know.
A metal torch with a focused beam gives crisper shadows than a wide LED lantern. Keep spare batteries in the basket — nothing ends the magic faster than a dying torch. For an anxious child, this is also a lovely way to make the dark feel friendly and controllable.