TinyStepper
Child crouching on pavement drawing bright suns and flowers with chalk

Monster Spray Workshop

Make a 'magic' monster-repelling spray together, giving your toddler a tool to feel brave at bedtime.

Activity details

2y–4y10 minslowindoorFood ColouringSpray BottleStickersWater

Instructions

Get ready
  • Gather a clean spray bottle, water, food colouring, and stickers
  • Let your toddler choose a colour: 'What colour scares monsters away?'
  1. Gather a clean spray bottle, water, food colouring, and stickers
  2. Let your toddler choose a colour: 'What colour scares monsters away?'
  3. Add a few drops of food colouring to the water together
  4. Decorate the bottle with stickers: 'This is YOUR special monster spray'
  5. Practise spraying together — aim at a wall or the floor
  6. Explain the magic: 'Monsters HATE this spray. One squirt and they run away!'
  7. Before bed, spray the corners of the bedroom together: 'This room is monster-free!'
  8. Leave the spray bottle within reach — their tool, their control

Parent tip

Set out food colouring and spray bottle before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.

Proud child holding up a painted sheet covered in bright handprints and splatters

What success looks like

Messy hands and a child who doesn’t want to stop. The artwork doesn’t need to look like anything — the process is the point.

Fill a spray bottle with water, add a drop of lavender oil or a squirt of food colouring, and decorate it with stickers. Your toddler has made their very own 'monster spray' — a tool they control. Before bed, spray the corners of the room together: 'No monsters allowed!' This works because it gives toddlers agency over their fear rather than dismissing it. The ritual becomes part of the bedtime routine, offering predictability and a genuine sense of power.

Why it helps

Birth to 5 Matters identifies self-regulation as children's developing ability to regulate their emotions, thoughts and behaviour, noting that co-regulation — where adults model calming strategies — is the foundation from which children build this skill. Giving a child a concrete tool to 'fight' their fear activates the sense of self-efficacy — the belief that they can influence their environment. This is far more effective than reassurance ('there are no monsters') because it respects the child's reality rather than dismissing it. The ritual element builds procedural memory, making bedtime feel predictable and controlled. Lavender, if used, has evidence-based mild anxiolytic properties that support physiological calming. The EYFS Personal, Social and Emotional Development goals identify self-regulation as a key milestone — and calm, playful practice is how children get there.

Variations

  • Add a drop of lavender essential oil for a calming scent that doubles as aromatherapy.
  • Make a 'brave shield' from a paper plate alongside the spray for double monster protection.
  • Create a 'monster patrol checklist' — spray under the bed, behind the curtain, in the wardrobe — for a thorough, predictable routine.

Safety tips

  • Use food colouring sparingly — it can stain fabrics and carpets if over-sprayed.
  • If using essential oils, keep concentrations very low and avoid contact with eyes or skin.
  • Ensure the spray bottle has a child-safe nozzle that does not produce a forceful stream.

Want to try another?

Night-Time Colour Mixing

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