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Daily Schedule for Children 12-18 Months of Age

Families can use this sample daily schedule to plan for and create a flexible and consistent routine for their toddler while learning at home.

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6–7:30 a.m. Early Morning Routines and Feeding/Milk

  • Good morning, families! Start your day by remembering that this current situation will not last forever. It is OK to look to the future. This is just a moment in time.

8–8:30 a.m. Wake Up and Get Ready – Practice Self-Help Skills as Your Child Shows Interest

  • Use diapering time to have conversations or play simple games.
  • As children develop more interest in self-help skills, social stories and visuals can be helpful. You can find social stories online with images to download and make your own book, or you can create your own social story by using photos of your child going through the routine (i.e., photo of your child dressing, brushing her teeth, combing his hair, etc.).

8:30–9 a.m. Breakfast, Self-Feeding Practice

9–10 a.m. Indoor Activities

  • Practice self-help skills like dressing, helping during diaper change and hand-washing, and choosing what to play with; follow your child’s interests during play and exploration.
  • Use words while playing with your child. Pause and let the child take a turn even if the child doesn’t use words yet.

10–10:30 a.m. Snack

10:30–11 a.m. Indoor/Outdoor Play

  • Join an online activity with your child’s teacher or home visitor, or select a planned learning activity suggested by your child’s teacher or home visitor related to your child’s learning or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) goals.
  • See this resource for guidance about virtual IFSP meetings and home visits.
  • Practice comprehension and following simple directions. Make it a game, for example, “find the pillow and a book.”

11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Books and Then Morning Nap

  • Children 12–18 months need 12 to 14 hours of sleep each day, including naps.

12:30–1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30–2:30 p.m. Indoor/Outdoor Play

  • Choose an activity from materials and resources sent to your home by your child’s teacher or home visitor. This will extend learning for your child based on his or her interests.
  • Create an activity bin of things your child can do safely on their own. Have your child help you choose things to put in the bin. If your child has an IFSP, your early intervention specialist can give you ideas for activities to include.
  • Use outdoor time as well as indoor time to work on learning and IFSP goals such as motor goals, new words, taking turns, making requests, and following directions.

2:30–3 p.m. Snack, Toileting, Book Reading

  • See if a trusted friend or family member is available and schedule some phone or video call time with children as a special afternoon activity. This can include reading a book or focusing on a learning goal your child has, including goals in an IFSP.

3:30–4:30 p.m. Afternoon Nap

  • Children 12–18 months need 12 to 14 hours of sleep each day, including naps.

4:30–5 p.m. Snack

  • Continue to work on self-feeding using spoon, cup, or pincer grasp. Name the foods and encourage child to point or name.

5 p.m. Dinner Prep and Help and/or TV or Other Screen Time

  • Have a great night, families! Remember, even if you didn’t get to do any of the things on your schedule today, you were there for your child, you made it through, and tomorrow is another day!

*For children 18–24 months of age, this schedule or the schedule for 2- to 4-year-olds may be useful, depending on your child’s readiness and development. You can also choose elements of both to best meet your child’s needs.

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