Activity and 1-Nap Schedule for Toddlers 12-36+ Months

Toddlers thrive on stable schedules, but they also need regular physical activity and variety in their day-to-day activities. We created this activity and nap infographic to help you structure your day with your little one. It is designed for you to print out and hang on your fridge as a helpful guide. We haven't published these types of exact schedules in the past, because there is no one-size-fits-all schedule that is perfect for every baby. That said, we understand that sometimes you just need a little inspiration and a guideline to follow. Keep in mind that this schedule will work well for some toddlers as is, but will need to be adjusted over time. For younger toddlers, expect longer sleep episodes and shorter awake windows. If your child is 2.5 years or older, then you may need to wake your child up to keep a regular schedule and prevent a super late bedtime and bedtime battles (note the wide ranges in normal around the example schedule). Please watch your child's cues to find the best schedule. Finally, most babies 12-15 months will still need a 2-nap schedule and a few babies who are 12-15 months will be ready to transition to a 1-nap schedule. Click the hyperlinks for that schedule. If you aren't sure what your child should be doing sleep-wise, then check out our age-by-stage sleep chart. We also have a series on how to decode and fix nap problems.

A note on the activity blocks: They are just suggestions to help you fill time. If you already have a different routine that you follow between naps, then that's totally fine. We know that some parents struggle finding a balance between providing structure and keeping things interesting. The idea behind "math time" isn't that a baby or toddler needs to be doing math every day, but rather that having a block of time that changes things up a bit activity to activity. For example, for "math time" you might go to a different drawer each day and count objects or you might play with different block shapes or walk around with your baby and point to all of the circles in your house. Again, if you want to do a different activity that is unrelated to math at that time, then that's totally fine! You can find other ideas for the activity blocks here.

We hope this helps you guide your child to a nice, stable daily schedule, but we know there are situations where you may need individual support to figure out how to bend the rules for your unique needs. (For example, the rules may change for naps on weekends or for situations where you can’t be consistent due to your schedule, changing caregivers, etc.) If you need help choosing an intervention strategy or figuring out how to make this work within restrictions of your life, then we would be happy to help you put together a plan through an individual consultation.