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The end of the day can be one of the most challenging times in a household with children – whether you’ve got a clingy toddler, a restless school-aged child, or a teen glued to a screen. Getting everyone to slow down, settle, and prepare for sleep sometimes feels like an impossible task. Over the years, we’ve learned that comfort – the physical and emotional kind – can be a powerful ally in our family’s evening routine.

If you’re looking for screen-free, calming ways to help your children wind down naturally, these are a few simple strategies that work for our family – from toddlers to teens.

Create a Predictable Evening Rhythm

Children of all ages thrive on predictability. Creating a consistent structure helps their bodies and minds learn when it’s time to transition from busy to calm. That doesn’t mean every evening has to be rigid, but simple rituals – bath, book, cuddle, lights out – go a long way.

For toddlers and younger children, visual charts or storytelling can help set expectations. For older kids, letting them help shape the routine makes them more likely to stick to it.

Engage the Senses for Soothing

Soothing isn’t just about silence – it’s about engaging the senses in gentle, nurturing ways. Think warm baths, soft lighting, calming scents, and cosy textures.

One of our favourite tools for this is Warmies – soft, weighted, microwaveable soft toys filled with dried French lavender. These clever little creatures combine heat therapy, gentle pressure, and aromatherapy in one go. My younger children love to cuddle them in bed, while my older ones use them as warmers before sleep. They’re simple, comforting, and incredibly effective.

Warmies aren’t just adorable – they’re also practical. Whether it’s warming up cold winter sheets, easing growing pains, or calming an anxious moment, they’ve become a staple in our wind-down routine.

👉 You can explore the full range at Warmies UK.

Keep Lighting Low and Warm

Lighting has a huge impact on sleep. Harsh ceiling lights and screens tell our children’s bodies it’s still daytime, making it harder for them to unwind. About an hour before bed, we switch to low, warm lighting – fairy lights, light-up diffusers, and dimmable bedside lights work wonders.

For teens, it can help to set ‘tech-off’ timers or create gentle reminders that it’s time to start switching off devices. Encourage offline evening habits if you can, although this can be challenging.

Use Movement to Wind Down – Not Up

While we tend to think of rest as stillness, gentle movement can help release tension and prepare the body for rest. Stretching whilst watching something for 30 minutes, or a quiet walk around the garden in pyjamas can do the trick.

For toddlers, simple “sleepy animal” movements can be part of a bedtime game (think: slow sloth, yawning lion). For older children, a quick stretch with their Warmie resting on their lap or neck can calm both body and mind.

Talk About the Day – and Let It Go

Children – even the teens who say nothing all day – often open up at bedtime. Make space for a few minutes of conversation that helps them process their day and let go of anything lingering.

We sometimes call this “a brain dump” – where each child can share one great thing from the day, one tricky thing, and one thing they’re looking forward to. It helps clear their heads before sleep and gives you a little glimpse into their world.

A Warmie in hand (or cuddled under an arm) during this chat creates a physical anchor for the emotion release. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference.

Let Comfort Do Some of the Work

At the end of a long day, we all want to feel safe, secure, and looked after. For children, this sense of comfort helps them let go of stimulation and ease into rest.

Whether it’s the warmth of a snuggly blanket, the scent of lavender from a well-worn Warmie, or the familiarity of a bedtime story, comfort is the secret ingredient to winding down.

And let’s be honest – a Warmie isn’t just for kids. I may or may not have one I keep for myself…and I love a weighted blanket too.

Final Thoughts

Helping children wind down doesn’t have to involve apps, gadgets, or elaborate routines. Often, it’s the simplest tools – warmth, softness, scent, and presence – that are the most powerful.

If you’re building a new evening routine or just looking for something to ease bedtime battles, we’ve found that products like Warmies fit beautifully into family life. They’re easy to use, loved by children of all ages, and they turn ordinary moments into little pockets of calm.