fitCLUB

Bedtime Routine Charades

Kids learn that calming the body and relaxing before bedtime are important parts of a bedtime routine that helps them get the sleep they need every night.

Adult leader sitting on the floor talking with kids
Child relaxing while reading outside on a bench.
Group of kids getting ready to play a game outside
Diverse group of kids doing leg stretches with an adult leader
Group of kids running outside on a grassy field
group of kids stretching while sitting cross-legged on a gym floor

Activity Purpose

Kids learn that it's important to calm the body and relax before bedtime to make it easier to get a good night's sleep every night.

Objectives

  • Recall that you need 9-12 hours of sleep each night.
  • Plan a bedtime routine to prepare for sleep.

Preparation

  • Talk Time: Kids sit and stretch or stand and march in place. Be sure they are a safe distance (arm’s length) apart.
  • Activity: Have the Bedtime Routine cards printed and ready to use. Divide kids into two teams. Teams stand in a horizontal (side to side) line and select a volunteer to be a point keeper.
  • Wrap Up: Kids partner with someone sitting near them for discussion.

Talk Time

Introduction

Q: What time did you wake up this morning? What time did you go to bed last night?
A: Count the hours between the time you went to bed and woke up. It's okay to use your fingers if you want to! If your count is between 9 and 12 hours, you did a great job recharging! If you did not sleep between 9 and 12 hours last night, make it your goal to sleep that long each night for the rest of the week!

One thing you can do to get a really good night's sleep is to have a bedtime routine that begins about an hour before your bedtime. This activity is similar to charades and will help you learn how to make a bedtime routine so you can get enough sleep to restore your energy for the next day. One team acts out a word or a phrase without talking, and the opposing team guesses the word or phrase.  

 

Do The Activity

Activity Instructions
  1. Divide kids into 2 teams.
  2. Select a volunteer from each team to be a point keeper who will track the correct guesses.
  3. Teams stand in a horizontal (side to side) line and face each other.
  4. Pick a team to act first (the acting team). The other team will be the guessing team.
  5. Draw a Bedtime Routine card and show the kids on the acting team. 
  6. Say, “GO!” and the “acting” team will act out the action on the given card.
  7. The guessing team huddles together to come up with one answer as to what the acting team is currently acting out.
  8. When, as a team, the guessing team decides their answer, they all do the actions along with the acting team. Leader calls on 1 person to give the answer.
  9. If the answer is incorrect the guessing team has 2 more tries to get the right answer.
  10. Once the action on the card is known, leader reads the fit tip on the action card aloud then places the card on the floor to create a line of cards to represent a bedtime routine.
  11. Alternate charades between teams until all cards have been used.
  12. Leader leads the kids in reading the bedtime routine sequence aloud.

Wrap Up

Reflections

Turn and talk with the person next to you. Tell each other what you will do for your bedtime routine. Be sure to tell them what time you will start your routine.

Having a bedtime routine helps you sleep better so you can recharge your energy.

Challenge

Make up your own bedtime routine tonight.

Time: 5 Minutes

What You'll Need

Resources

Materials
  • Timer

Helpful Tips
  • If your group is large, separate into 2-4 smaller groups. Pause to rotate the cards among the groups. 


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