Parent tip
Start before you overthink it. No-prep activities work best when you begin while the moment is still recoverable.
Teddy Bear Bedtime Routine
Let your toddler put their stuffed animal through a full bedtime routine.
Activity details
Instructions
- Ask your toddler to choose which stuffed animal needs to go to bed
- Start with 'teeth brushing' — mime it or use a toy toothbrush
- Help them 'dress' teddy in pretend pyjamas (a sock or cloth works)
- Ask: 'Does teddy want a story?' and read or tell a very short one
- Let your toddler tuck teddy under a small blanket or cloth
- Whisper goodnight to teddy together
- Transition: 'Now it's your turn, just like teddy'
What success looks like
A few quiet minutes together without pressure. If your child relaxes even slightly, that’s self-regulation building.
Your toddler becomes the parent, guiding their favourite teddy through every bedtime step — brushing teeth, putting on pyjamas, reading a story, tucking in. Rehearsing the routine through pretend play gives children a sense of control over a process that often feels imposed on them. When they are the one tucking teddy in, bedtime becomes something they do rather than something done to them.
Why it helps
The NSPCC's Look Say Sing Play programme calls bedtime one of the best moments to build a toddler's brain — 'whether it's bathtime, bedtime or you're washing up, playing with your child, using silly voices, or even singing can build their brain right from birth'. Modelling the routine on a teddy first lets the toddler rehearse it from the calm vantage point of being the parent, which makes the real version feel familiar and predictable.
Variations
- Line up several stuffed animals and do a 'bedtime parade' — each gets tucked in one by one.
- Let your toddler sing teddy a lullaby they know.
- Add a 'goodnight kiss' ritual where teddy gives kisses to other toys before sleeping.
Safety tips
- Choose a stuffed animal without small detachable parts (buttons, ribbons) for safe sleep.
- Keep the play calm and quiet — avoid tickling or exciting games that raise energy.
- If using a cloth as 'pyjamas', ensure it's not large enough to cover the child's face.
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