Turn Holiday Lights Into Festive ‘Nightlights’ In Your Kid’s Room

My son was born with a festive spirit. The kid never met a celebration he didn’t like. So obviously this time of year is his jam. We spent many hours (and I do mean many) executing our Halloween decorations this year. And he’s been begging me for the past week or two to start setting up our little winter village, complete with this year’s addition—a taco truck.

For Christmas, in particular, he also likes to decorate his bedroom with plastic candy canes, a reindeer crossing sign and even his own little tabletop Christmas tree. “Why don’t we do lights in his room this year?” my husband recently said. “Like a nightlight. We could put them on a timer.”

Yes, husband, why don’t we string holiday lights around his room for the world’s best, most festive nightlight?? (And how have we never thought to do this before?) Holiday lights have that perfect soft, hazy glow that allow you to see your way across the room if you have to pee in the middle of the night but aren’t so bright as to actually keep you awake.

So, we’re going for it, and I think you should, too. You could hang them all around the top perimeter of the room or pick one dominant spot, such as around the closet doorway or across the headboard. If you want to really do it up, I would also support you getting a small tabletop tree and wrapping one strand of lights around it and then setting it in a corner opposite of the bed or on top of their dresser.

Plug them in and leave them on all night or set them on a timer to turn off as dawn approaches.

Is it possible that once the holidays have passed, they’ll have become attached to the lights and want to keep them up year-round? Sure, definitely. But I see nothing wrong with that.