Daycare daily schedule template, made for your room
Pick an age group and we fill in a sample day. Change any time or activity, then download a clean schedule to post in your room and share with families.
- Fill in your detailsYour center, room and dates.
- Make it yoursEdit, add or remove anything. Turn parts on or off.
- Check the previewIt updates as you type.
- Download PDFOr get a blank copy to fill in by hand.
We filled in a sample for the age group. Change any time or activity, add rows, or move them up and down.
Sample daycare daily schedules by age
Use these as a starting point. Every room is different, so move times to fit your meals, naps and pick-up. Pick an age in the tool above to load one and edit it.
Infants (0–12 months)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Arrival and health check | Greet each family. Note last bottle, sleep and mood. |
| 7:30 AM | Bottles and breakfast | Feed on each baby's own schedule. |
| 8:00 AM | Floor play and tummy time | Mirrors, soft blocks, rattles. Talk and sing. |
| 8:45 AM | Diapers and morning naps | Each baby naps when tired. Always on their back. |
| 9:30 AM | Books, songs and sensory play | Board books, finger plays, texture boards. |
| 10:15 AM | Outdoor time | Stroller walk or blanket time in the shade. |
| 11:00 AM | Lunch, bottles and diapers | Write down amounts and times. |
| 11:45 AM | Nap time | Babies sleep on their own schedule. Check often. |
| 1:30 PM | Diapers, snack and bottles | |
| 2:00 PM | Sensory and motor play | Water play, crawling tunnels, push toys. |
| 2:45 PM | Outdoor time | |
| 3:30 PM | Snack, bottles and diapers | |
| 4:00 PM | Quiet play and music | Books, soft music, cuddles. |
| 5:00 PM | Daily reports and pick-up | Share feeding, sleep and diaper notes with families. |
Toddlers (1–2 years)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Arrival, health check and free play | Table toys and books while friends arrive. |
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast | Wash hands before and after. |
| 8:30 AM | Diapers and potty | |
| 9:00 AM | Circle time | Hello song, short story, movement. Keep it to 10 minutes. |
| 9:15 AM | Art or sensory activity | Small groups of 3 or 4. |
| 9:45 AM | Snack | |
| 10:00 AM | Outdoor play | Climbing, balls, sand and bubbles. |
| 11:00 AM | Diapers, potty and handwashing | Read a story while friends wait. |
| 11:30 AM | Lunch | Family-style where you can. |
| 12:15 PM | Nap time | Soft music, dim lights, pat backs. |
| 2:30 PM | Wake up, diapers and potty | Children wake on their own time. |
| 3:00 PM | Snack | |
| 3:30 PM | Music and movement | Dancing, instruments, scarves. |
| 4:00 PM | Outdoor play | |
| 4:45 PM | Centers and daily reports | Blocks, puzzles, play dough. |
| 5:30 PM | Pick-up | Share the day with each family. |
Preschool (3–5 years)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Arrival, health check and table toys | Puzzles, drawing, books. |
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast | |
| 8:30 AM | Morning meeting | Greeting, weather, calendar and the plan for the day. |
| 8:50 AM | Learning centers | Blocks, art, dramatic play, science, library. Children choose. |
| 9:50 AM | Clean-up and snack | Use a clean-up song. |
| 10:15 AM | Outdoor play | Running, climbing, riding, nature walks. |
| 11:15 AM | Small groups | Letters, numbers and shapes in groups of 4 to 6. |
| 11:45 AM | Lunch | |
| 12:30 PM | Rest time | Quiet books for children who don't sleep. |
| 2:30 PM | Wake up and quiet activities | Bathroom, puzzles, drawing. |
| 3:00 PM | Snack | |
| 3:20 PM | Story time and music | Read aloud, songs, movement. |
| 4:00 PM | Outdoor play or gym | |
| 4:45 PM | Centers and daily reports | |
| 5:30 PM | Pick-up |
School-age (after school)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2:45 PM | Arrival and sign-in | Check each child in from school or bus. |
| 3:00 PM | Snack and chat | |
| 3:20 PM | Homework time | Quiet space with help from staff. |
| 4:00 PM | Outdoor games and sports | |
| 4:45 PM | Clubs and projects | STEM, art, cooking, reading club. |
| 5:30 PM | Board games, reading and pick-up | |
| 6:00 AM | Close |
How to build a daily schedule that works
Start with the fixed points
Put in arrival, meals, snacks, nap or rest and pick-up first. Everything else fits around them.
Mix active and quiet times
Follow a busy block, like outdoor play, with a calm one, like a story. Children behave better when the day has a rhythm.
Get outside twice a day
Plan outdoor time in the morning and the afternoon, weather permitting. Many states set a daily minimum, so check your licensing rules.
Keep group time short
About 10 minutes for toddlers and 15 to 20 minutes for preschoolers. Long circle times lead to wiggles, not learning.
Plan the transitions
Clean-up songs, a timer or a hand signal tell children what comes next. Fewer transitions mean less waiting and fewer meltdowns.
Let infants lead
Babies eat and sleep on their own schedule. Write down a general flow for the room, and follow each baby's needs within it.
Post it and share it
Hang the schedule at children's eye level with pictures, and share it with families so they know what their child's day looks like. Need ideas to fill the blocks? Try our daycare activity ideas by age.
What to include in a daycare daily schedule
- Program name, room and age group
- Times for each part of the day
- Meals, snacks and handwashing
- Nap or rest time
- Indoor learning time: centers, circle, small groups
- Outdoor play
- Diapering or bathroom times
- Arrival and pick-up routines
- Teachers in charge of the room
More free help for your day
Share the day with families automatically.
MyKidReports turns your day into daily reports with photos, meals and naps that parents see in the app. Start free for up to 5 children, or try Pro free for 14 days. Pro is $0.99 per child a month.
Common questions
What is a good daily schedule for a daycare?
A good daycare schedule has set times for arrival, meals, snacks, nap or rest and pick-up, with active and quiet times in between. Include outdoor play in the morning and afternoon, short group times and free-choice learning centers.
How do I make a daycare daily schedule?
Pick the age group, set your opening time, then add meals, naps and pick-up first. Fill the gaps with play, learning centers, outdoor time and stories. Our free tool fills in a sample by age that you can edit and download.
What does a toddler daycare schedule look like?
Toddlers do best with the same order of events every day: arrival and free play, breakfast, a short circle time, art or sensory play, outdoor time, lunch, a long nap, snack, music and more outdoor play before pick-up.
Do infants need a set schedule in daycare?
Infants follow their own eating and sleeping times. Rooms usually post a general flow for the day, while each baby eats, naps and gets changed when they need to.
How long should circle time be?
About 10 minutes for toddlers and 15 to 20 minutes for preschoolers. Shorter, more active group times keep children engaged.
Is this daily schedule template free?
Yes. It is free and runs in your browser. Fill in your details and download a printable schedule, or download a blank template to fill in by hand.