Welcome to Moonlit Minds

Welcome to Moonlit Minds!

So you found this new blog and you're wondering what it's all about.  The concept came from many nights spent lying next to our kids before bed.  We have always felt like those few minutes before they fall asleep are so important.  It is a chance to unwind, reflect, laugh (or cry), connect, and learn together.  It is a ritual we share together every night (alternating for each child!).  Those moments are some of the few times in the day we have each other's full attention and we relish it.

This blog is a collection of activities to do with children right before bed.  We'll post games, puzzles, thought experiments, and more.  There will be opportunities for learning in a variety of areas, and chances for children to reason and explore.  But most of all, it will give you a chance to connect with your kids.

Over the years, we have played countless games with our kids, and we decided to share them with you one post at a time.  Here are the basic tenets of Moonlit Minds activities:

Tenets

All Moonlit Minds activities (unless otherwise specified) can be done:

1) Lying Down

Parents should be lying down next to the child.  This is a great way to connect and the only way to ensure a successful transition to sleep when you're done!

2) Quietly

(...although I can't guarantee there won't be some giggles along the way!)  But these activities are meant to be relaxing and help keep children calm before bed.  We don't want to get them all excited and prevent them from falling asleep.

3) Briefly

It's bedtime!  We realize that, and we recognize the importance of a good night's sleep for children.  Our activities can be modified to fit into shorter or longer periods of time, but you need to have a clear cutoff in mind.  It's easy to get carried away and realize it's very late.  Sometimes we'll finish bedtime reading a bit early if we have an activity planned that might take more than a few minutes.

4)  In the Dark

Lights out!  These activities should be mostly spoken word only, but some ambient light is needed for some of the activities.  We don't use nightlights, and our kids prefer the room pretty dark.  Scientifically the extra light is tricking kids into staying awake longer so we recommend darkness.  It's very relaxing too.  If kids have anxiety about the dark, this is a good chance to help them through it.  We'll be posting some activities that might help with that too.

Let's get started!

Ok, enough talk.  We'll start blogging now so check back soon.  Please keep in touch in the comments!  Like us, tweet us, and share us!

Have fun and enjoy the precious time with your children.

Mind the nap!