Family Fun Night

Have You Ever Gone Night Walking?

Night walking, but not sleep walking. This can be quite exciting & different for little ones, but it can also help to relieve some fears of the dark.

My experience of night walking started as a child during family camping trips. We would take our flashlights and go for a walk together around the campground. I remember how scary the trees & shadows looked in the dark, but I felt safe because my family was with me. Many times we would find
our way to a clearing (pre-planned by my dad) where we could look at the stars and study the constellations.

Sometimes I would take my own kids for a walk around the block at night. In an urban area you don't usually need flashlights, but they can be a fun addition. At one time we lived in an apartment complex on a hill, so we would walk to the top of the hill and look at the stars. Once we were actually able to see a shower of shooting stars.

There is so much to talk about at night; the stars, the moon, the shadows, why we sleep at night, why some animals are night creatures and others are day creatures, and why we feel afraid of the dark. It can be a great adventure to discover how different places look at night, or to see if you can find things of a certain color at night. Talk about how people lived or found their way before the invention of electricity.

This can be an especially good activity if the kids are still a little wound up from their days activities. A slow paced relaxing walk while holding their hand, and stopping occasionally to point something out. You don't have to go far, possibly even just around your own back yard. Then when you come back inside have a cup of coco or warm milk and a story to sooth them to sleep.

A Night Walk can be a nice change of pace for a different Family Night experience.