Torch and shadow play
Turn the room's shadows into old friends
Learning through play
The coat hook that looks like a monster at night gets investigated with a torch in hand — theirs. First you play at making funny shadows on the wall, and then, once the torch is a toy and not a weapon, you go together to discover what each shadow in the room really is. Your little one practises approaching what they fear, one step at a time, with the switch for the light in their hand.
By age: At 2-3, just the fun-shadow part of the game; at 4-6, the full investigation of the shadows that scare.
What you’ll need
- ·A torch (or the phone one)
- ·A clear wall
- ·The objects in the room that scare at night
Getting ready
Wait until it is a bit dark or close the blinds. Torch with batteries and go.
How it goes, step by step
- 1
With the light low, make funny hand shadows on the wall: the rabbit, the bird, the yawning wolf
- 2
Hand them the torch: whoever holds the light is in charge
- 3
Go together to "investigate" the shadow that scares them and discover what it really is
- 4
Give the unmasked shadow a funny name
- 5
Agree where the torch sleeps, within their reach, for tonight
Safety
Never shine the light in the eyes; and the investigation goes at their pace — if today they will not go near a shadow, investigate it from further away.
Your tool for the moment
Do not tell them there is nothing to fear: their fear is real. Validate ("that shadow is striking") and offer them the active role — they hold the torch, you follow. Stepping one step closer is already a win.
The phrase they keep
«I look at the shadow. I breathe. It is almost always kind.»
The pedagogical why
Night-time fears are normal at these ages. Approaching what is feared gradually — instead of avoiding it — with a sense of control reduces fear more than removing everything that scares.
Honestly: Playing with shadows one afternoon does not erase the fear that same night: it makes it smaller with repetition, and some nights they will still call out.
Source: AAP HealthyChildren, Childhood Fears and Worries; graded exposure (cognitive behavioural therapy)
Grounded in developmental psychology and citable sources. It does not replace a professional’s assessment; if anything worries you, talk to your paediatrician.
What you get
- 1
The activity’s audio guide in Tilo’s voice, step by step
- 2
The everyday materials you’ll need — nothing to buy
- 3
The illustrated story and its audio story for this same situation
- 4
The Moment’s song, made to measure
- 5
The family guide: how to hold the play, and the rest of the week, from a calm place
Digital delivery by email. The confirmed delivery window will be shown before payment.
The story that plants it
The hunter of friendly shadows
Fears that appear when the light goes off
Torch and shadow play
Turn the room's shadows into old friends
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