Getting Kids' Energy Out Before Bedtime

One dad wrote that his preschool daughter has started running around when she's supposed to be getting ready for bed. It's become a fun game for her ... but not so fun for her dad.

How can he change the dynamics of this situation so that at bed time she's ready to calm down instead of run around? One idea is to help her use up some of her energy at least 30 minutes before bedtime. He could do a fun "physical challenge" course asking her to do things like:

• "Can you hop on one foot from the chair to the door?"
• "How long can you hold your right leg out without losing your balance?"
• "How far can you walk with your stuffed bear balanced on your head?"
• "How many big arm circles can you do in a row?" 
• "How fast can you run from the kitchen to your bedroom?  

Hopefully these activities will use up enough of her energy so that she can then wind down and look forward to getting her pajamas on and reading a book before falling asleep!