Managing kids who just won't nap!! - CareforKids.com.au ®

Managing kids who just won't nap!!

It's a fact some children just don't seem to need as much sleep as others. If you have children in your service who just won't sleep during the designated rest period consider using nap time boxes as a way of encouraging them to have some quiet time and to prevent them from waking up everyone else.

Nap time boxes are themed activity boxes which should be reserved for designated rest periods. Encourage the child to take their box into a quiet corner or bed before it is opened. Also explain that there is only one nap time box per day to avoid constant requests for another box.

Decide on a range of themes and decorate a number of old shoe boxes, biscuit tins or ice cream containers in line with those themes.

Wrap the containers in decorative paper, stick motifs on the lids or illustrate them with bright paintings and pictures.

The boxes should be filled with small inexpensive items which are not available to the children on a daily basis, toys picked up from $2 shops, markets and garage sales are ideal.

Theme ideas:

Decorate the outside of a cookie tin with a theme from nature (jungle, underwater, farm etc) and fill the tin with corresponding animal magnets.
Stickers are always popular, decorate a container in a theme and fill it with stickers. You could supply backdrops for the stickers or encourage the child to create their own backdrop by supplying paper and a box of mini pencils.
For number recognition cut a stack of cards, on one card write a numeral and on another put the corresponding number of dots. Have children match the number card with the correct dot card. This can also be successful with lower and upper case letters, colours and simple word/item recognition.
Put together a small, no mess art box using stencils, pencils, small coloured pieces of paper and/or colouring pages.
Put together a box of interesting themed items, such as feathers, seeds, pine cones, shells and dried leaves for the child to explore.
Place a couple of baby dolls or teddies in a box with some easy to put on clothes and have the child dress the toy and settle it for bed.
Decorate a container with a road or wharf scene and fill the box up with cars and boats.

Remember nap time boxes should be kept for rest periods, and should be filled with quiet, interesting activities a child can manage on his/her own.

These tips come courtesy of April's Angels Family Day Care - Forest Lake QLD.