What to Include in a Daily Schedule for 6 Year Olds

Need to create a daily schedule for a 6 year old at home? Learn what to include in your morning and after school routine for a smooth day!

For one reason or another, you know that you need some sort of structure for your 6 year old.

Maybe all she wants to do is play video games or watch television, scorning any chores or responsibilities you remind her to do. Perhaps she has trouble getting ready in the morning—she still needs your help putting on a shirt and needs multiple reminders to get her shoes on. And even though she’s in school for most of the day, that still doesn’t make the mornings or evenings any easier.

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What to include in a daily schedule for a 6 year old

I’ve long been a fan of routines and schedules. They help us know what to do on any given day (or time of day). Kids don’t have to ask what they should do because everything feels so automatic. And they can even take the initiative and do those tasks on their own.

Everyone’s daily schedule will look different, of course. Some families have parents who work all day and whose kids are in after school care. Other kids attend extracurricular activities a few (or all the) days of the week.

That’s why I want to suggest different ideas you can include in your daily schedule, not so much break your day down hour-by-hour. These are some of the “building blocks” of your schedule and often take place no matter your circumstances.

Take a look at what to include in a daily schedule for a 6 year old:

1. Morning routine

Mornings can be rough when you know you have to get to school or work (or both) by a certain time. And if school starts early, this can really cut those mornings short and make them extra hectic.

Give yourself plenty of time to get ready, even if it means waking up earlier. To start, wake your child at the same time every morning so that her body starts to adjust to waking up around that time. Then, here are a few things you can do to make your mornings smooth:

Prepare and eat breakfast. I like to prepare breakfast before the kids are awake so that they can start right when they get up. Have the same breakfast (or at least the same weekly menu) to make buying and preparing meals easier. For instance, oatmeal on Mondays, cereal on Tuesdays, and so forth.
Brush teeth. Have her to brush her teeth on her own.
Get dressed. Give her a choice on what to wear, so long as the options are reasonable for the weather. For instance, she can choose from any long sleeves and pants to make sure she’s not cold in the winter.
Pack school bags. Show her how to pack her lunch and choose the snacks she’ll eat. Make sure she has everything she needs for school in her backpack.

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2. Empty backpack

As part of our after school schedule, the first thing we do when my kids get home is to empty their backpacks. Before they even eat a snack, I have them place their lunch dishes in the sink or dishwasher and hand me any folders or paperwork from their teachers.

Then, they hang their bags on the coat rack so they’re exactly where they’re supposed to be the next morning.

3. Snacks

Once your child has emptied her backpack, have her eat an afternoon snack. One option is to have something already prepared, especially if she doesn’t know how to make that particular snack yet. Another is to place a few snacks in a “snack area” that she can choose from.

I have my kids eat snacks before they start on homework. This can often avoid any grumpiness that might come from being hungry. It’s also a great way to chat about their day or for them to decompress from a long day at school.

4. Homework

It’s not unusual for kids to have homework even in kindergarten or first grade. Thankfully, most are review or work that can be done within 10 minutes or so. Doing homework after snack can be a good time since your child has just eaten and had a quick break at home.

See if he can do his homework on his own with you nearby. For instance, you can put dishes away while he sits at the kitchen table to work on a few writing exercises. That way, you’re giving him autonomy to complete his work but still making yourself available should he need help.

5. Playtime

With homework done and out of the way, give your 6 year old a chance to play however she likes. Having downtime during the day allows her to be creative, tinker with toys, and make her own choices. This doesn’t mean you can’t encourage her in some way—you just have to let her lead. For instance:

Bring out a few art supplies she can use to draw and create, like paper, crayons, and play dough.
Encourage outside play, like bouncing a ball in the backyard or playing in the garden.
Work through puzzles or bring out a board game.
Do something together, like baking cookies.

6. Outings

I rarely go on outings on weekdays after school, but this can be a weekly tradition, especially if your child has a half day every week.

Since he had already been in school for hours, keep your outing simple and low-key. You can go to the library to attend a craft event and check out books to take home. Perhaps you’ll visit a local park so he can ride a scooter or climb on the playground.

And once in a while, you can sneak errands in as well, though I try to do these when the kids are at school or on weekends.

7. Dinner

I’m a fan of having family dinners at the same time every night. We have an early dinner at 5pm, but that allows us a chance to still have some time after dinner and put the kids to bed early, too.

You might eat dinner depending on when you or your partner get home from work. Perhaps you have some nights when you have dinner late because of one child’s violin lessons. It won’t always be perfect, but aim to have dinner around the same time so that your child gets used to eating around that time.

8. Chores

Even at 6 years old, your child can do plenty to contribute to household chores. A good place to start is with his own items, like putting dishes in the sink or cleaning up toys he played with. He can help load his laundry in the washing machine or pack his backpack for the next morning.

Once he’s comfortable doing chores for himself, expand his responsibilities so that he’s doing tasks for the whole family. This could be helping you spray the dining table so that you can wipe it down. He could tidy up the living room coffee table, help feed the dog, or wipe the bathroom mirrors.

It’s never easy when kids refuse to do chores. But introducing chores now helps make them a normal part of contributing to the family so that he doesn’t resist them so much down the line. He also learns life skills and can feel proud for doing a good job and helping others.

9. Screen time

Not all families allow screen time, especially during the weekdays. Find a balance that you’re comfortable with, whether that’s zero screen time or a mix that allows for some on weekends.

Maybe that’s watching 30 minutes on school nights but letting your child watch a longer movie on weekends. Perhaps you don’t let her use the tablet during the week but she can play a few games on half days or weekends.

Set a timer so that stopping screen time doesn’t fall on your shoulders. She’s more likely to shut the computer down when she hears the timer than when someone tells her to.

10. Bedtime routine

Does your 6 year old struggle with ending the day? A consistent bedtime routine can definitely help. For many of us, our patience and willpower wear down toward the evening, so bedtime can take a hit, especially with tantrums, stall tactics, and multiple wake-ups.

Prevent many of these issues with a solid bedtime routine. A few activities you can do include:

Brush teeth
Use the potty
Take a bath
Dress in pajamas
Read bedtime books
Kiss good night
Turn off the light

To help the bedtime routine flow smoothly, start at the same time every night and do the same activities in the same order. Soon, she won’t have to wonder what’s next or why you have to start now. It feels automatic and normal, and she’s more likely to take initiative as well.

Best practices for creating a daily schedule

Now that we’ve gone over a few activities to include in a daily schedule, let’s take a look at a few best practices:

1. List a routine chart or checklist

I like to list all the things my kids should have done in the morning before heading to school. That might be brushing their teeth, packing lunches, and getting dressed.

By having a checklist or a visual chart, your child can double-check that she has done everything she needs to do. You can have a list for mornings, after school, or bedtime, too.

2. Be consistent with rules and responsibilities

Being wishy-washy sends the message that rules can fluctuate and doesn’t give her the predictability she craves. Yes, evaluate rules if you need to adjust, but do so with purposeful intent, not because you’re letting it slide this one time.

3. Give your child something to look forward to

Finding it difficult to motivate your child to do the next step? Remind her of something she can look forward to. The “reward” is a perk or activity she gets to do once this next step is done. For instance, you can say, “Let’s get you bathed so we can put on those new pajamas you picked out today!”

4. Schedule plenty of downtime

Kids need time to be able to do what they want to do instead of being shuffled from scheduled activities and tasks. They’re able to tinker and experiment and come up with interesting ideas and creations.

They’re also cultivating patience and tolerance for being bored and learning how to get through it. We don’t have to plan their every second or save them from boredom.

5. Guide, don’t hover

Autonomy can help your 6 year old feel confident and capable of tasks you ask her to do. First, show her how to do a task step-by-step, then ask her to help you do it together. Later, have her do it on her own with you nearby to guide her. At some point, she can ideally do the task completely on her own.

The bottom line

Whether your 6 year old wants to play video games all day or is always late to get ready in the morning, a daily schedule can help. With consistency, your days can flow smoothly, from the morning routine all the way to bedtime.

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