Dark nights play kit

As the nights draw in, and your child is more likely to have time to enjoy the dark evenings before bedtime, it can feel like the opportunities for play start to vanish. No more evening trips to the park, or walks before bed, and less time to get energy out in the afternoon as the gloom sets in earlier and earlier.... but there is a lot of magic in the dusk and dark!  

We’ve created a list of items we find really useful to have on hand for these dark evenings – as well as the usual play kit objects we shared earlier in the year, which you can find linked at the end of this article, in case you missed out.  

Over the next few weeks we’ll share lots of ideas for how to play with these items – look out for these at the top of your Today screen in your app.  

Useful items to have ready... 

 … For cosy nights in 

• Blankets 
• Soft and cosy clothes, things like fluffy socks can make a big difference to how dark evenings feel 
• Large cardboard boxes or other spaces to make cosy dens 
• Play dough – you can make your own and give it a warming scent like cinnamon using one of these recipes 
• A basket of favourite picture books 
• Lamps, torches or night lights 

… For getting out on evening adventures 

• Picnic mat 
• White sheet (ideally an old one you don’t mind keeping in your play kit) 
• Pegs  
• Large den-making clips or large bulldog clips 
• Safe cups or flasks for warm drinks 
• Hi Viz outfits or light up keyrings to attach to coats/clothes  
• Torches  
• Coloured torches/coloured sheets to put in front of torches 

For more play kit ideas you can look back at the things we suggested in our summer play kit and autumn play kit. Gather a selection of your favourite items from each to make the perfect play kit for your family!