The Not So Scary…PICTURE BOOKS TO SHARE
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DARKNESS & BEDTIME · FREE PRINTABLE

My familiar room

Ella’s room looks different when the lights grow low in The Not So Scary Dark. This drawing activity begins in daylight, with objects your child already knows. There is no need to darken the room.

Suggested for ages 3–6 with a grown-up · about ten minutes · paper and pencils. Print the sheet below, or copy the prompts onto plain paper. In your browser’s print options, turn off headers and footers.

Try it together

  1. Look around a familiar room together. Let your child choose an object to draw, such as a chair, a toy or a pair of slippers.
  2. Notice a shadow if one is visible, or imagine a silly shadow for the object. Draw both; they do not have to match.
  3. Choose something familiar your child would like in their room. Add it to the final box and let them tell you about it.

THE NOT SO SCARY · DRAW AND TALK

My familiar room

Draw, make marks or tell a grown-up what to write. You can skip any prompt.

An object I know

A shadow shape I can imagine

Something familiar in my room

An original companion activity for The Not So Scary Dark. © 2026 Kayleigh Waterman · thenotsoscary.com/activities/bedtime-shadows
Free to print for home, classroom and library use. Please keep this credit.

A drawing can be playful without becoming a test of bravery. Ella explores shadows and sounds with familiar company in The Not So Scary Dark. Read at your child’s pace, and leave any prompt they do not want to try.

The Not So Scary Dark cover

The Not So Scary Dark

By Kayleigh Waterman

Explore the story and Amazon editions →

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