Dinosaur Night Lights and Projectors for a Kid's Bedroom

The best dinosaur night light for a bedroom is dim, sits low and away from the bed, and turns itself off on a timer. Projectors suit kids who like a show at bedtime; plain glow lights suit kids who just want the dark softened. Check for a testing-lab mark on plug-in models and a secure battery door on coin-cell ones.

Night light or projector: which does a dinosaur fan need?

A dinosaur night light gives a soft, steady glow, while a projector throws dinosaurs, stars or moons across the ceiling and walls. The choice depends on why the child wants a light at all.

Our dinosaur room decor guide covers lamps as part of the wider room. This page is about night lights and projectors only.

How bright a dinosaur night light should be

A dinosaur night light should be just bright enough to calm a child, and no brighter. The Sleep Foundation says a small night light is fine for a child who is afraid of the dark, while the rest of the room stays as dark as possible. The AAP’s HealthyChildren.org suggests placing a night light in the hall near the child’s door, which sheds minimal light while giving comfort.

The AAP calls a fear of being alone in the dark a common childhood fear. After a bad dream, the AAP says it is fine to let a child keep a light on if it helps.

Projectors are brighter than a plug-in glow, so a few features matter more:

• Dimmer: several brightness steps, with a low setting for sleep.
• Timer: an auto-off after the child falls asleep, so the light is not on all night.
• Color choice: warm settings as well as the bright blue and white star effects.
• Quiet motor: a rotating projector should not hum, and any music should have a volume control.

Plug-in, battery or rechargeable dinosaur lights

Dinosaur night lights run on wall power, replaceable batteries, built-in rechargeable batteries or coin cells. Each has its own check.

Plug-in lights and USB adapters

Look for a certification mark on the light or its adapter. OSHA recognizes private testing laboratories (NRTLs) that certify products to safety standards, and their registered mark shows a product was tested to one or more standards.

CPSC’s recall list shows why. Recalled night lights include AmerTac models that could short-circuit, overheat and smolder or melt, and color-changing projection night lights sold through LTD Commodities and The Lakeside Collection that could short circuit, with reports of sparks, smoke and damaged outlets. Search cpsc.gov for any secondhand light before it goes into a child’s room.

Rechargeable dinosaur lights

Rechargeable lights skip the cord at night, but the battery still needs care. Battery-operated Circo night lights, one of them an orange dino egg, were recalled at Target in 2015 because the battery could overheat and melt the light. CPSC’s lithium-ion advice, written for e-bikes and scooters, is to use only the charger supplied or recommended by the maker, to unplug when charging is done and never to charge while sleeping. Charge the light during the day, not on the child’s bed.

Coin and button cells

Small dinosaur lights and remote controls may use button or coin batteries. Under Reese’s Law, CPSC guidance says products made or imported after March 19, 2024 must secure those battery compartments so they need a tool or two independent, simultaneous hand movements to open. Check that the battery door closes firmly on any light a toddler can reach.

Dinosaur night lights as gifts

A dinosaur projector makes a strong birthday or Christmas present for a child moving into a big-kid bed, especially paired with dinosaur bedding.

For toys to go with the light, see dinosaur gifts for toddlers and dinosaur gifts for kids 6 to 12, and a cuddly bedtime companion from our dinosaur plush guide. Every other idea starts at dinosaur gifts by age and interest.