If your child loves Cocomelon but doesn’t love going to sleep, a new podcast from Headspace and Cocomelon may help. It’s designed to help your child use up a little excess energy, then transition into stillness and calm for bedtime.
The second episode just dropped, and you can find it on Headspace or for free on the Cocomelon Lullabies YouTube Channel. Each one walks kids through the steps of relaxation, incorporating gentle play and storytime to ease relaxation.
Here’s why you’ll want to check these out.
Going To Sleep Can Be Hard Work
As adults, sometimes we lie awake fighting to make our brains relax and settle down. Our preschoolers aren’t worried about the bills, car repairs, and politics that may keep us awake, but that doesn’t mean their brains settle down easily, either.
Just last night, for instance, as I put my five-year-old to bed, she pleaded with me not to get lost or let the dreams take me. It sounds silly and funny from an adult perspective, but sleep can be scary, and being separated from parents is a pretty typical worry for little ones.
Child development experts recommend bedtime routines, including bath, cuddles, and storytime. Toddlers tend to counter with the request for one more glass of water, one more book, and one more trip to the potty.
This podcast is designed to be the last story of the night, and it’s a sleepy one.
Here’s How It Works
The two episodes available so far are The Ocean Toy Museum and JJ The Dinosaur. They do have some visuals, but are primarily audio, and your child can enjoy them without staring at a screen.
Each starts with a quick explanation of the format, then moves into wiggle time. That means pretending to be a sea turtle who lies on the floor flapping its flippers, an octopus with 8 wiggly tentacles, a dinosaur doing big, slow stomps, and then a baby dinosaur doing a short-armed wiggle dance!
Then it’s time to stretch. In The Ocean Toy Museum, Headspace’s meditation teacher, Dora Kamau, helps kids pretend to be a sea turtle stretching their flippers high above their heads, then stretch their flippers wide to give a big sea turtle hug. In JJ The Dinosaur, it’s a baby dinosaur who does the stretching.
The final step is deep breathing. This is an activity based on pretend play, too. Your child may be a fish blowing long, slow bubbles, or take big, slow, dinosaur tummy breaths. By the end, active participation has your child a little calmer and more ready for rest.
Then, It’s Storytime
Now, Dora takes the kids to a fantasyland.
Imagine walking with a baby dinosaur as you watch the stars appear in the sky. Your child is guided to imagine the flowers and other scenery, and interact with gentle friends, as they create a new lullaby to sing to baby dinosaur’s favorite teddy bear.
Or, imagine finding that toys accidentally left behind at the beach end up in the Ocean Toy Museum, and taking a swim with a blue-and-yellow guppy through that museum to meet Scooter the sea turtle, who will take your child to see all the lost toys and imagine new uses for them in a world with walls made of coral reef.
You can check out the first episode below.
How To Incorporate The Cocomelon Podcast Into Bedtime
This podcast is made for parents to share with their children.
One good way to use it might be to get all the bedtime tasks done first: bath, pajamas, tooth brushing, a drink of water, and the last visit to the potty.
Then, cuddle up and share a book or two with your child. Make sure the room is cozy and ready for rest. You could use a nightlight and turn off the main lights.
Then, move on to the podcast. Explain to your child that you’re trying something new: they’ll be wiggling, stretching, taking deep breaths, and listening to a story with JJ from Cocomelon.
Then, help them keep it calm. Provide a place to wiggle and stretch, but have them snuggle up in bed for the story!
If it doesn’t work out the first time, that’s okay. It can take time to make routines work!