Need a Toddler Schedule? 15 Examples That Will Actually Make Life Easier

The toddler schedule. This is often the first place we look to when the kids are throwing us off. Maybe your child has been refusing naps or taking a long time to fall asleep. Or perhaps her behavior since the new baby arrived hasn’t improved, but grown worse.

Your child could also be starting preschool in a few months, prompting you to start her on a toddler schedule before then. Or maybe you’ve been struggling to find things to do now that your little one is a toddler.

And still yet, you might be looking for a toddler schedule that doesn’t leave her overtired come bedtime after a long, exhausting afternoon.

You may have tried playing with your current schedule to see if doing that helps, but nothing seems to solve the issue. And the ones you’ve found may not accommodate your work hours.

Finding the right toddler schedule that works for you

Many of us look to toddler schedules first for good reason: a solid routine can solve many of the surprising or relentless issues that come up or never seem to go away. It can truly turn things around, especially since it makes your days so much more predictable for your child.

The trick is to stay consistent, so much so that you don’t even have to think about it after a while… and to keep at it, instead of calling it quits after a few days (schedules rely on consistent repetition, after all).

And of course, you also want to find one you can actually do, one that works with your lifestyle as well as with your child’s needs. A toddler schedule is only as effective as the parent and child implementing it. As we all know, there is hardly a one-size-fits-all solution, including with schedules.

You may even find that a new toddler schedule that works wonders for a while needs to be tweaked and experimented with over time. After all, your child grows up and may need fewer naps or different activities. Along with consistency, another key point is to observe and tweak as needed.

15 daily toddler schedules to try

That’s why having examples of toddler schedules can be so useful, whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or working mom.

Below I list 15 different templates to refer to, based on how other families structure their days with their toddlers. I kept the schedules simple and focused on key “pillar” events of the day, namely meals, naps, and bedtime.

You can vary the activities you do in between, or stick to the same activity every day. Looking for ideas? Join my newsletter and you’ll get a set of learning activities to do with your little one. Download the printable pack below—at no cost to you:

I hope you can find one that works for you:

Example #1

6:30am wake up
8:30am breakfast
12pm lunch
12:30pm nap
2:30pm snack
6pm dinner
7:30pm bedtime

Example #2

8:30am wake up and eat breakfast
10:30am snack
12:30pm lunch
1pm nap
3:30pm snack
5:30pm dinner
7pm bath and bedtime

Example #3

6am wake up and drink milk
7:30am breakfast
9am snack
10:30am drink milk and take a nap
1pm lunch
3pm snack
5pm dinner
7pm drink milk and bedtime

Example #4

7am wake up and drink milk
8am breakfast
10am snack
12pm lunch
12:30pm nap
3pm snack
5pm dinner
7:30pm bedtime routine starts

Example #5

7am wake up, drink milk, and eat breakfast
9:30am snack
11am lunch
12pm nap
3pm snack
6pm dinner
6:30pm bath
7pm bedtime

Example #6

7:30am wake up
9:15am snack
12pm lunch
1:30pm nap
4:30pm snack
6pm dinner
7:30pm bath
8:30pm bedtime

Example #7

7am wake up and drink milk
8am breakfast
11am lunch
11:30am nap
2pm snack
5:30pm dinner
7pm bath
7:30pm bedtime

Learn 5 reasons your toddler is going through the 1 year old sleep regression.

Example #8

7am wake up and eat breakfast
10am snack
11am nap
1pm lunch
3pm snack
5pm dinner
6pm bath
7:30pm bedtime

Example #9

8:30am wake up
10am breakfast
11:30am snack
1pm nap
3pm (late) lunch
7pm dinner
8pm bath
8:30pm bedtime

Example #10

7am wake up and drink milk
9am breakfast
11:30am snack
12:30pm lunch
1pm nap
3:30pm snack
6:30pm dinner
7:30pm bath
8pm bedtime

Example #11

6am wake up and drink milk
8:30am breakfast
10:30am snack
12pm lunch
12:30pm nap
3:30pm snack and drink milk
6pm dinner
7pm bath
8pm bedtime

Example #12

7am wake up
7:30am breakfast
11am snack
12pm lunch
1pm nap
2:30pm snack
5:30pm dinner
7:30pm bath
8pm bedtime

Example #13

6:30am wake up
7:30am breakfast
9:30am snack
11:30am lunch
12:30pm nap
2:30pm snack
5:30pm dinner
8pm bath
8:30pm bedtime

Example #14

6am wake up and eat breakfast
9:30am snack
11am lunch
11:30am nap
2pm snack
6pm dinner
6:45pm bedtime routine
7pm bedtime

Example #15

7am wake up and eat breakfast
9am snack
11am lunch
12pm nap
2pm snack
5pm dinner
6:45pm bath
7:15pm bedtime

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