Build a Daily Schedule for Kids

Routines can be beneficial for kids of all ages. Building a daily schedule for kids provides them with a healthy structure, helps them feel rooted, and teaches them vital time management skills.

Tailor your everyday routine to your family’s lifestyle, ages, needs, and interests to boost effectiveness and make life a little easier.

Schedules for Different Age Groups

A schedule will be more effective if it suits your child’s developmental stages and needs. Exploring different structures for various age groups can be the foundation for a successful schedule.

Toddlers (Ages 1-3)

Even at this young age, a routine can help your kid thrive. Here’s how a 3-year-old’s schedule might look:

• 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.: Choose a consistent wake-up time each day.
• 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Enjoy breakfast and do a simple, age-appropriate chore like wiping down the table.
• 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Enjoy playtime activities. Have a small snack.
• 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Eat lunch and wind down.
• 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Take a nap or quiet time.
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Have another healthy snack and unstructured playtime.
• 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Eat dinner, help tidy up and enjoy family time.
• 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Pick a consistent bedtime routine with bathing, brushing teeth, dressing, singing, or reading a book to wind down.
• 7:30 p.m.: Go to bed at the same time each night.

Preschoolers (Ages 4-5)

A preschooler’s routine will vary depending on whether they attend preschool full-time, part-time, or if they are homeschooled:

For a child attending preschool for half of the day, a good routine may include the following:

• 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.: Wake up and get ready for preschool.
• 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.: Arrive at school. Welcome time and breakfast.
• 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: Circle time and play.
• 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: School activities and learning.
• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Nap or quiet time.
• 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Eat lunch and wait for pickup.
• 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Afternoon activities at home.
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Snack time followed by unstructured play.
• 5 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Dinner and family time.
• 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Nighttime routine.
• 7:30 p.m.: Bedtime.

School-Aged Kids (Ages 6-12)

Going to school is a significant transition for kids. While exciting, it can also be overwhelming.

A good routine can help school-aged kids adjust, settle, and thrive. It can be helpful to break the day up into bigger chunks that make the schedule less overwhelming and provide lots of space for transitions. Here’s a simple structure you can replicate:

• Morning routines: Morning routines should include a healthy breakfast and ample time for getting ready to avoid rushing.
• School day: The school day will consist of different subjects, activities, and break times for lunch.
• Extracurricular activities: Many schools offer after-school activities to help children develop their interests.
• Home: School days are busy, so allowing your child sufficient time to relax when they get home is vital for their well-being.
• Homework: Teaching your children to devote time to homework daily can help set them up for academic success.
• Dinner: Dinner time should be all about family time and winding down. (You can make dinner time easier for you as a parent by exploring healthy meal delivery services for kids.
• Nighttime routine: Your kid’s nighttime routine can include preparing for the next day, bath time, and some free time or family time before bed.

Teenagers (Ages 13-18)

By the time your kid is a teenager, they should have an established routine that benefits their well-being academically, physically, and emotionally. The routine should include school, extracurricular and a healthy amount of free time for exploring their interests and fostering friendships.

 

10 Tips for Creating Your Kid’s Daily Schedule

Creating your children’s daily routine can be simple and effective with these 10 practical tips:

1. Use Technology to Your Advantage

Time management apps can be a game-changer for creating your child’s routine! With the right apps, you can easily plan your child’s meals, create and share daily schedules, and set reminders for upcoming activities.

2. Prioritize Your “Must-Do” Activities

Not everything will get done on time—and that’s okay! Prioritizing what needs to get done each day is an excellent way to keep you and your kids motivated and consistent with your routines.

3. Tailor the Schedule to Your Kids

Tailoring the schedule to your child’s unique interests, hobbies, and passions is a great way to keep them more independently entertained and intellectually engaged.

4. Balance Activities

Routine is excellent, but adding variety to your days will help keep things fresh and help your children stay on track. You can achieve this by maintaining a balance in your kid’s schedule:

• Mental vs. physical stimulation
• Family fun vs. independent play or quiet time
• Focused learning vs. silly play
• Indoor vs. outdoor activities

5. Talk to Your Kids About the Daily Schedule

Things go better when your kids are on board. Instead of creating a schedule and expecting your kids to accept it, talk about it together. Explain why it’s important, ask for input and keep checking in to understand how your kids are adapting and feeling.

6. Post the Schedule Where Your Kids Can See It

Display your new routine chart in a kid-friendly way somewhere your kids can easily see it—maybe a huge, stickered-out poster in your kitchen or a bright chart in your living room. You can then give them the “big kid” responsibility of checking what’s next on the schedule rather than relying on you to tell them. The more independence you can foster, the better!

7. Keep Healthy Meals on Hand

Some days are busier than others. Even though eating well is always a priority for your family, you may not always have the time or energy to include cooking in your routines. With Nurture Life, you can enjoy regular delivery of nutritious meals for kids.

Our meals are delivered fresh and are easy to freeze and reheat whenever you need an extra hand in the kitchen.

8. Create an “I’m Bored” List

Even with the world’s best daily routine for kids, there will be times when your little one can’t resist the familiar refrain of “I’m bored!” To help yourself out, start and keep a running list of things your kids can do whenever they think they’re bored. Post it where your kids can see it—perhaps right next to your routine chart—so they can choose their own activities independently. Here are some fun ideas to get started:

• Read a book.
• Listen to a children’s audiobook.
• Listen to a kid-friendly podcast.
• Make your own board game.
• Upcycle an old box into a handmade craft.
• Draw something to give to someone.
• Write a journal entry.
• Create a new dance move.
• Invent a recipe.
• Use dry-erase markers to draw a picture on the windows.
• Find the most beautiful leaf in the backyard.
• Pick backyard flowers and give someone a bouquet.
• Cook something new (with a parent’s help!).
• Learn origami.
• Build a pillow fort.
• Play with a pet.
• Write a letter to a friend.
• Go on an indoor scavenger hunt.
• Make your own at-home escape room to challenge the family later.

If your family does chores in exchange for rewards, post those, too! Your kids can help out with housework while you’re getting some work done.

9. Ask Your Kids for Help

Having trouble coming up with ideas for the “I’m bored” list? Then get your kids involved! Ask them for help brainstorming what they want to learn, do or explore. Explain that there might be times when they need to play quietly so that you can finish important tasks, and ask how they might be able to entertain themselves. You might be surprised at what your kids want to try out!

10. Think “Structure,” Not Scheduled

When it comes to routine, forgetting about parenting perfectionism is one of the best things you can do for your family.

If some piece of your kid’s daily schedule isn’t working, feel free to change it! Maybe you need to put independent learning activities in the morning while you work, or maybe your kids do better with a high-energy activity right after lunch. When you build a flexible daily schedule for kids, you can adapt it to whatever works for you.

Provide a Daily Schedule for Kids of All Ages

If you would like to create a steady routine for your children that includes fueling them with nutritious meals, try Nurture Life’s meal delivery service for kids!

Our meal plans are designed with children and picky eaters in mind and are perfectly balanced and nutritious. Each meal only takes a couple of minutes to prepare, making them convenient for establishing stress-free, easy-to-maintain routines.

Browse our kids meals today!