What Does Your Day Look Like??

[LaLa1923]

I'm making up our daily schedule and I need help! What does yours look like? I realize it can change from day to day...

Do you play with the kids all day??
Do you have an earlier nap or later?
What do you do during free play??

[Holiday Park]

I am about to make a brand new handbook for my clients that all started this year,with no handbook or contracts. And I also want some kind of schedule.
All I know is I found the best nap times to be 9:30 & 1:30 for 6-12 months,so far. This is how my days go so far...

Right now I only have my son (13 months) , a 12 month girl (only days),a 7 month boy(he doesn't come one of the two days the 12 month girl comes), and a drop in 7 month girl (usually evenings) . I usually only have 1 besides my son,sometimes 2,and 3 on one day of the week only ,if the drop in girl AND PT boy comes,and all their times happen to overlap on that day.

arrival: 7/8 , but sometimes one comes at 6am on his moms early days,and another comes at 7am on her moms early days.



arrival till morning nap:
Diaper changes/potty times, free play , reading books,singing songs, listening to music, *occasionally* watching learning or song singing type of videos (yo gaba gaba,animal sounds,abc,etc..) . But mostly free play

9:30 / *sometimes* 10 : Morning NAP
11/11:30 , wake from morning nap: Lunch

After lunch until afternoon nap:
Diaper changes/potty times, free play , reading books,singing songs, listening to music, *occasionally* watching learning or song singing type of videos (yo gaba gaba,animal sounds,abc,etc..) . But mostly free play

1:30/ *sometimes*2 till 3pm : afternoon nap . Sometimes I let my son stay up longer so he can nurse and snuggle one on one ,after the others go down for nap and before he takes his.

3pm : snack for my 13 month old and the 12 month girl. sippy cups as needed (in kitchen ) bottle for 7 month old . Free play for them all afterward,until pick ups at 4-5:30 .

after snack :
Diaper changes/potty times, free play , reading books,singing songs, listening to music, *occasionally* watching learning or song singing type of videos (yo gaba gaba,animal sounds,abc,etc..) . But mostly free play*

Sometimes they need a short 3rd nap,but its hit or miss,and only if I feel the particular child needs it real bad.

Diaper changes/potty times, free play , reading books,singing songs, listening to music, *occasionally* watching learning or song singing type of videos (yo gaba gaba,animal sounds,abc,etc..) . But mostly free play*

departure time usually 5:30 pm (My latest pick up time for them )

If I have my evening time baby she just does whatever my family is doing,go with the flow like shes one of us,and gets picked up as late at 7/8 *occasionally* 8/9pm She won't work out much longer if her parents don't get on board with bein consistant with the naps. Her refusing to sleep ALL day long and crying when the others go to sleep (woke them up Friday) is getting old.

[Holiday Park]

Found this thread too...

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54839

[Blackcat31]

I have 12 children ranging in age from 3 months to 5 years.

ALL children arrive by 9:00 a.m.
at 9:15 we have our morning snack
at 9:45 several pre-school children leave for swimming lessons (YMCA) while the rest of us have some sort of art experience (depends on our topic/theme)

we will then sneak in some outside time. If the weather does not allow then we do some indoor large motor activity...parachute, music and movement etc.

then it is lunch time then rest/quiet time at 12:30-2:30 (ALL children sleep/rest)

My infants nap whenever they want but are never separated from the group. The PNP's they sleep in are right in the middle of the house out in the open so they sleep in the mix of the other kids playing. Once they get to be about 12 months old, I transition them to a nap mat and they sleep once per day like the others.

after lunch/rest time we will do some center play (free play)

afterwards we try to get back outside.

we then do afternoon snack time

I don't schedule my day with specific times as a big part of my program is allowing children the freedom to explore, discover and play with a toy, center or activity as long as they can or as long as they want to.

I am inspired by the Montessori approach where uninterupted play is very important.

Obviously I am restricted by some time constraints for things such as drop off/pick up times, lunch and rest time but the other parts of the day are very relaxed and very supportive of the kids doing what they choose to do when they choose to do it.

I do not facilitate activities but am available at all times to intervene or to support or add to whatever activity the kids are doing. They come to me when they need me to read something, explain something, or add to something they are already doing.

I try to make the environment one where the children can and want to do things on their own.

I am basically just the adult on site...

[Blackcat31]

Here are a few more threads on daily schedules https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...ule+-+examples

[LK5kids]

6:30~8:00. Arrival/quiet play
8:00~8:30 Breakfast

8:30~9:30 Free Play. During this time kids come over for creative art time with me if they are interested....most are, their choice tho
Centers I have set up are: housekeeping/drama, block/construction, book corner, art easel, infant/toddler area, giant chalk board, sensory tub, science, puzzles/manipulatives, general toys, & writing desk.
9:30 clean up
9:40. Circle time~story, songs, weather, etc,
10:00 a.m. Snack
10:15~11:20 outside time/neighborhood walk
If it's too cold we will do music And movement activities and another free time

11:30~12:00 TV time and table toys while I make lunch
12:00~12:20 lunch
12:30~2:30 nap
3:00 p.m. Snack
3:30~4:30 outside play. ~ during nice weather we might stay outside longer
4:30~5:30 departure ~ free play

[Meeko]

Arrive.

Laugh, play and create.

Lunch.

Nap.

Create , play and laugh.

Home.

[Meeko]

Arrive.

Laugh, play and create.

Lunch.

Nap.

Create , play and laugh.

Home.

Ok...so it's BIT more than that...but you get the idea ::

[blandino]

Our day is pretty structured, for me personally - I need a structured environment. We have a schedule that guides our day, but within this schedule - we are very child led. I don't continue an activity if the children aren't into it, or if I am ready to pull my hair out trying to get them to participate.

7:00 Open & freeplay
8:00 Breakfast
8:20 - 9:00 Freeplay
9:00 Music
9:20 Circle time / story time (after story time - the children look at books independently)
9:45 Diaper change
10:00 Art (little ones go first, then preschoolers)
10:30 Learning
11:00 Structured activity
11:30 Educational video (while I setup for lunch)
12:00 Lunch
12:40 Freeplay
1:00 Begin setup for nap (clean up, mats out, potty break, diaper change)
1:20 - 3:30 nap
Diaper change, put aways mats & bedding
3:50 Snack
4:00 + Freeplay & Departure

[MNMum]

My day is similar to BlackCat's. I have approx 4-6 kids during the day (8 for breakfast).

7:45-8:15 Breakfast
8:30 To the bus stop, sometimes we go for a walk after that
9:00 - Sometimes we will do a craft or circle time, often the kids want to play
10:30 ish - If the kids are into something productive I let them play, otherwise we clean up and head outside
11:30 or 12 - Lunch, then storytime
1pm - naptime until 3:15
3:15 Snack
3:45 Back to the bus stop

[LK5kids]

It's interesting to read others schedules. Anyone else?