[Shamona Murphy]

if your going to make a daily schedule, make sure you don’t have to change it before getting your kids on it

[Sabrina]

observe your children and work on something that will keep them engaged and interested

[Sherri Cason]

A permanent schedule can be put together once the childcare center open hours are set. Most childcares times are 6 am to 6 pm, so below is what the schedule will be set around.

Drop off / Breakfast / Lunch / Nap / Snack / Pickup

[Danielle]

Keep it simple, use visual aids, refer to it throughout the day, involve the children in creating and keeping track of where in the day they are, attach a routine too a time in the schedule (discuss what we do when we get ready for lunch), make it fun so that children enjoy participating and lastly you could add a reward system to it (eg: if transitions are easy and we follow the routines at each scheduled time at the end of the day they get a sticker for their chart or choice of what they want to do first in the classroom)

[Heather Mueller]

Routine the same as possible each day, model transitions, pictures to go along with posted schedule.

[Clarissa Dickinson]

When creating schedules always add in snack and lunch times first and plan around those, I have noticed after recess/outside play they sometimes have trouble calming down and resetting for learning activities so I like to do something that calms their bodies and mind down such as a physical activity such as an interactive yoga video, mindfulness (which is quiet play or coloring), or story time so that they reset and adapt to their inside behavior.

[Madilyn]

I would say base it on nap and meal times. Fit activities and outside time around nap and snacks or meals.

[Junga]

Creating and Maintaining a Daily Schedule for Children:

• Consistency: Keep the schedule consistent each day to provide predictability for the children.
• Flexibility: Allow some flexibility to accommodate individual needs and unexpected events.
• Engagement: Ensure that the activities planned are engaging and developmentally appropriate for the age group.
• Transition Time: Include transition time between activities to help children adjust smoothly from one activity to another.
• Communication: Share the schedule with parents and staff, and display it prominently in the classroom.

[Maedeh Haghighi Poodeh]

I think it is important to involve children in all daily activities. Teach them and ask them to help so they will be more independent.

[denae]

For managing a schedule I would make sure to be consistant with them and make sure they have appropriate transition times so they are not blindsided when it is time to move on from an activity

[Sinead]

Keep structured activities short (less than 30 mins) as children have limited attention spans, provide lots of free time when children can explore and use this time to observe their preferences and use that to inform future activities.

Include tidying up / washing hands as transition activities between activities – this makes these elements less like chores and just part of the routine.

Where possible as the group what they would like to do next – this gives children a sense of control over their lives – which they generally do not have a lot of.

If there is a change to the routine give the children some notice so they can adjust and prepare.

Maintain outdoor play where possible even in poor weather (Rainy Seattle!!!) – make sure to have the right clothes/boots to cope with the weather.

[anna]

Do you have any tips or advice on creating and maintaining a daily schedule for children?

Maybe taking time to observe how the children naturally flow through the day, including them in the moment when thinking of activates. Helping the kids understand the short time breaks for specific things, and lots of reminders when it’s time to move on.

[Madeleine Danna]

Make sure to have the appropriate amount of time scheduled for each part of the day and also try out different methods for transitioning to make switching from one thing to the next easier and less stressful on both the children and yourself.

[Juliet Grohall]

A great way to create and maintain an effective schedule with children is to involve them in the process of creating the schedule as well as setting transitions with certain songs or motions that the children do every time. Example when you are coming inside from outside all children must line up before the teachers are done singing ‘row row your boat’ or creating a line up song for the children to sing as they are lining up.

[ash DEZ]

Taking the time to get to know the classroom as a whole and see if certain activities work best at different times or maybe not as long.