Daily Routine for Kids: Sample Schedules by Age
A routine for the kids is all about bringing some order and predictability to the day. Start with the things that are absolutely fixed (when…
A routine for the kids is all about bringing some order and predictability to the day. Start with the things that are absolutely fixed (when they go to bed etc) and then work in the meals, the rest, the movement and the free play.
If your mornings are regularly ending with a missing shoe or a school bag that’s not been checked then that’s where you need to focus. Keep the shoes in one place and check the bag the night before. Build the rest of the day around a few key routines rather than trying to fit everything into a schedule.
Here are three sample schedules for you: one for a toddler, one for a school age kid and one for a tween. Each one has a column where you can put in your own times so it’s dead easy to print and then adapt to your own family.
What should a child’s day consist of?
A good routine includes time for sleep, meals, hygiene, school or childcare, play, and helping with chores. The balance will change as kids get older, but they will still need adult help with tasks they can’t do on their own.
The AAP recommends having predictable routines but allowing some flexibility for choices. For after school, they suggest a snack, some movement, relaxation, and then study, but the order should fit what works best for your child.
Start by writing down four things:
- Fixed commitments: School hours, childcare, transport, and appointments.
- Sleep needs: Wake-up time and enough space for sleep and the bedtime routine.
- Daily essentials: Meals, getting dressed, washing, brushing teeth, and packing needed items.
- Open time: Play, conversation, interests, and a margin for tasks that take longer than expected.
These examples are based on a typical daytime school or childcare schedule. If your family has home education, different school hours, religious holidays, changing caregiver shifts, or therapy appointments, adjust the routines to fit your real day.
How much sleep should you leave room for?
Work backward from the time your child needs to wake. The CDC lists these daily sleep ranges:
| Child’s age | Recommended sleep in 24 hours |
| 1–2 years | 11–14 hours, including naps |
| 3–5 years | 10–13 hours, including naps |
| 6–12 years | 9–12 hours |
| 13–17 years | 8–10 hours |
These numbers are ranges, not a suggestion to choose the lowest amount. Remember to include time for the bedtime routine and for falling asleep. Being in bed doesn’t always mean your child is sleeping.
For instance, an 8.30 pm lights-out and 7 am wake-up gives you a 10.5-hour overnight window. If the child needs longer to get to sleep or needs more sleep, then start earlier. A 12-year-old is still in the 6-12 bracket regardless of whether they’ve started middle school.
Routine: example for a two-year-old
This is an example for a child who has one afternoon nap. It is not a nap transition plan and won’t work for every toddler. You need to coordinate your child’s sleep and meal times with the childcare provider rather than attempting to run two separate schedules.
Print it and use it. Copy the table onto a page or print out this section. Write your times in the final column. An adult can, of course, draw simple pictures next to wake, food, play, rest, and bed to illustrate the sequence.
| Example time | What happens | Adult support | Our time |
| 7:00 a.m. | Wake, diaper change or toilet, get dressed | Help with care and clothing | __________ |
| 7:30 a.m. | Breakfast and morning hygiene | Supervise eating and help brush teeth | __________ |
| 8:00 a.m. | Play or travel to childcare | Offer a small choice of activities | __________ |
| 9:30 a.m. | Snack, then active play | Prepare suitable food and supervise play | __________ |
| 11:30 a.m. | Lunch | Sit together where possible | __________ |
| 12:15 p.m. | Quiet transition: change, book, familiar settling steps | Help the child prepare to rest | __________ |
| 12:30–2:00 p.m. | Nap | Adjust to the child’s established sleep pattern | __________ |
| 2:00 p.m. | Wake, snack and play | Allow an unhurried transition | __________ |
| 3:00 p.m. | Outdoor or indoor active play | Join in and supervise | __________ |
| 5:30 p.m. | Dinner | Offer familiar foods alongside other meal components | __________ |
| 6:15 p.m. | Quiet play and a small shared tidy | Put a few toys away together | __________ |
| 6:45 p.m. | Wash, pajamas, brush teeth, books | Stay involved throughout | __________ |
| 7:30 p.m. | Lights out and settling | Follow the child’s familiar bedtime approach | __________ |
The example provides an 11½ hour overnight window plus a 1½ hour nap window. Actual sleep will of course be less. Tailor the schedule to your child’s actual requirements rather than stubbornly holding to the printed times.
For ideas of what to eat within those eating windows, we have our Healthy Food for Kids guide which covers the food groups, some simple meals and the preparation considerations. The sample day is for a school-age child, so you’ll want to use the preparation guidance for the younger child rather than just pluck the menu from the guide and use it as is.
One thing to keep: ____________________ One thing to change: ____________________
Routine: example for ages six to nine
This example is based on school running from 8.30 am to 3 pm with a relatively short journey. You will of course need to amend the hours and the travel blocks before using it. The homework window is just an example and should not be taken as the amount of homework that is recommended for this age group.
| Example time | What happens | Child’s part and adult help | Our time |
| 7:00 a.m. | Wake and get dressed | Child follows a short list; adult helps as needed | __________ |
| 7:20 a.m. | Breakfast and brush teeth | Adult supports food preparation and hygiene | __________ |
| 7:50 a.m. | Check bag, water and shoes | Check today’s essentials together | __________ |
| 8:00 a.m. | Leave for school | Use your real travel time | __________ |
| 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | School | Follow the school’s timetable | __________ |
| 3:00–3:30 p.m. | Journey home or after-school care | Confirm pickup and supervision arrangements | __________ |
| 3:30 p.m. | Snack and time to unwind | Let the child choose a quiet activity or conversation | __________ |
| 4:00 p.m. | Active play | Choose an activity and safe space | __________ |
| 4:45 p.m. | Homework or reading, with breaks as needed | Adult helps with instructions; finish earlier if work is done | __________ |
| 5:15 p.m. | Free play or an interest | Leave some time without an assigned task | __________ |
| 6:00 p.m. | Dinner | Share a manageable meal | __________ |
| 6:45 p.m. | Small household task; prepare bag and clothes | Teach the task before expecting independence | __________ |
| 7:15 p.m. | Family or quiet free time | Keep the choice simple | __________ |
| 8:00 p.m. | Wash, pajamas, teeth and reading | Adult checks what support is needed | __________ |
| 8:30 p.m. | Lights out and settling | Adjust earlier when more sleep time is needed | __________ |
For the play block, you really have two options: a walk or a ball game. Our family activities guide has ideas listed by location, age, cost, and estimated time (including some for short indoor sessions).
One play block doesn’t represent all of a child’s movement throughout the day. The CDC recommends that children aged 3-5 be active every day and that children aged 6-17 get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. The activity of older children should include aerobic activity and muscle and bone strengthening activity on at least 3 days per week. School play and other activities will contribute to this.
One thing to keep: ____________________ One thing to change: ____________________
Routine: example for ages ten to twelve
Build this version with your child. Get them to mark the fixed commitments, decide where homework will be done and what needs to be prepared the night before. Independence in this context can mean that they take responsibility for one step whilst you as an adult are still looking at the overall plan.
| Example time | What happens | Tween’s responsibility and support | Our time |
| 7:00 a.m. | Wake, wash and get dressed | Use the agreed alarm or adult wake-up | __________ |
| 7:20 a.m. | Breakfast and teeth | Prepare what they can safely manage | __________ |
| 7:50 a.m. | Final bag check | Check assignments and activity equipment | __________ |
| 8:00 a.m. | Leave for school | Follow agreed travel arrangements | __________ |
| 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | School | Use the actual school timetable | __________ |
| 3:00–3:30 p.m. | Journey home or after-school care | Confirm the day’s arrangement | __________ |
| 3:30 p.m. | Snack and downtime | Choose a brief reset before the next commitment | __________ |
| 4:00 p.m. | Sport, outdoor play or another movement option | Adapt the block to the day and abilities | __________ |
| 5:00 p.m. | Homework or project time | List tasks, take breaks and ask for help | __________ |
| 6:00 p.m. | Dinner | Share the meal and conversation | __________ |
| 6:45 p.m. | Household task and preparation for tomorrow | Pack equipment and choose clothes | __________ |
| 7:15 p.m. | Friends, hobby or free time | Follow the family’s agreed boundaries | __________ |
| 8:15 p.m. | Finish device use; begin a quiet transition | Put devices in the agreed place | __________ |
| 8:30 p.m. | Wash, teeth, reading or quiet conversation | Use the bedtime sequence | __________ |
| 9:00 p.m. | Lights out and settling | Earlier if the child needs a longer sleep window | __________ |
This gives us 10 hours between lights out and waking. We can move it earlier if we need to. If an evening activity finishes late, then we look at the other commitments rather than simply taking time from our sleep.
One thing to keep: ____________________ One thing to change: ____________________
How do you get a routine going without constant reminders?
Pick one part of the day to work on first. For the morning, it might be a very short list indeed: get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, check bag, put on shoes. Just walk through it together prior to expecting your child to do it all on their own.
Put the reminder in the location where the task actually takes place. A bag list would go near the bag, a bedtime routine near the bedroom. Use pictures, large print, or spoken prompts as appropriate to your child. Provide assistance with the step that is the most difficult rather than simply adding more steps to the chart.
Try a specific prompt: “Let’s check what comes after breakfast.” If putting on your shoes regularly takes longer than the timetable permits, then either extend that time slot or start earlier. The useful thing to note is what actually happened, not whether the printed box was ticked.
What if the afternoon just doesn’t go to plan?
A missed bus, a tired child or a delayed pickup can all push things back. Work out which bits of your plan need to be protected and which can be reduced. On a tough day, your plan might simply be food, some essential homework, a bit of prep for the next day, and then bed. An elaborate craft project can quite rightly be put off.
For a day involving a club or appointment, write a separate version of the afternoon. Specify who is collecting the child, when food is available and where the schoolwork can reasonably be fitted in. If the work consistently takes more time than is available, then discuss it with the teacher rather than just assume the child has to work faster.
The charts are just starting points. They are not tested family schedules, nor are they a treatment for any of the difficulties that children may have with attention, anxiety or transitions. You will need to adapt the instructions, the sensory demands and the level of adult support to the child. If the support required extends across multiple settings, then you will need to work in partnership with school or your child’s care team.
Should weekends be the same as the week?
Keep the recognizable bits of the day (i.e. getting ready, meals, bedtime etc.) and leave more open time for outings, interests and rest. You can move the activities around without in any way abandoning the sequence of the day.
The CDC recommends consistent bed and wake times. A weekend plan can help to maintain that sleep pattern whilst allowing for a slightly slower breakfast and/or a longer afternoon outing. If your child is regularly having difficulty going to sleep, waking up several times during the night, or still feeling tired despite having had sufficient sleep opportunity, then it would be worth discussing this with their GP. This article is purely for general planning purposes and is not medical advice.
For more on everyday home life, check out The Family Wellness. Create your own chart with tomorrow’s wake-up, departure, and bedtime. Fill in the spaces between with what your child actually needs to do and then leave a bit of space to be late finding that shoe.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics: The Importance of Family Routines, updated June 28, 2024. Supports predictable but flexible routines and the broad after-school components.
- CDC: About Sleep. Supports age-based sleep ranges, consistent bed and wake times, and discussing persistent sleep problems with a healthcare provider.
- CDC: Child Activity—An Overview. Supports age-based movement guidance and the mix of activity types.
All source pages were opened and reviewed October 16, 2026. Schedule times, task sequences, examples and printable layouts are original editorial suggestions, not schedules prescribed by those organizations or findings from family testing.
