Setting up something different doesn’t have to be a hassle. You can always go with a cliché especially with kids and it tends to work out well, especially if it is fun. In this case, I took some old pots I had and setup a drum set. She didn’t quite understand at first until I showed her what I had in mind and then she started gently. Then I told her no, hit the pots harder and make some noise and suddenly she was all into it.
Granted, I have all sorts of fancy stuff going on here because I wanted a rockstar feel, but this could have just as easily worked with window light and a few pots in the kitchen. It might even give it a different context that you could run with and explore. But the point is, props and a photo session for those props are all over your house, you just have to look for them.
Anyway, for lighting, I have 4 lights involved. One light over head with a snoot aimed down. Two lights to either side of her, one with a red gel and one with a blue gel. Finally, a light a ways off to the front of her with a octagon softbox. I’ve been gravitating towards octogon softboxes as of late as a key light because I like the shape of the catch light it creates in the eyes. This is purely a personal preference and I wager 90% of the people who look at professional photos could care less what shape the catch light is in the eyes. Just wanted to include that tidbit so no one is out there thinking they are stuck with whatever light they have – those are fine too. Embrace them, learn to use them, use them well, and you will go far with what you have.