How difficult is it for you and your family to get through the morning and bedtime routines? Why does it have to be so stressful? Even if most schools use schedules to explain to children what is expected of them, they are rarely used at home.
This article features a colorful set of 35 images of activities and routines throughout a typical day with a morning and evening schedule. This schedule is ideal for children of young age or kids with special needs to use at home.
Who can use a morning and evening routine schedule?
Coping with what comes next is difficult for most children, especially those with Autism and anxiety. A visual schedule helps children plan and prepare for what comes next and know what to expect. This schedule can be used by children from age two (a simplified version of course) up to teenagers.
Why use visual schedules?
There are many benefits to using this free printable home and daily routine schedule :
- having a visual schedule eases the frustration children feel because their parents make them do things they don’t usually enjoy like brushing their teeth and making their bed. By doing so, schedules reduce the tension between parents and children during daily routines.
- it allows children to gain independence and work without the assistance of an adult to give them instructions or correct their behavior.
- it also reduces the friction related to changing activities. Some children have difficulties transitioning from one activity to the other, especially if the last one is less enjoyable.
- it helps children learn to read vocabulary related to their daily lives.
The main reason why parents don’t use visual schedules is that they don’t have time to make them. This free printable daily routines schedule will make your life easier and make your family’s daily routines run smoother.
How to use a visual schedule with children?
The first rule in using a schedule for your child is that it should be visible and put in a place where it can be easily accessible. It should also be at the child’s level and easy to read.
These cards were created to show what a typical routine looks like, but you don’t have to use all of them at once. You can pick and choose which cards to use depending on the complexity of your daily routine.
The first set of cards is for the morning routine and includes the following:
- wake up
- make bed
- get washed
- get dressed
- eat breakfast
- brush teeth
- brush hair
- put on shoes
- put on coat
- backpack
- go to school
The second set of cards is for the evening routine and includes the following:
- eat a snack
- do homework
- do chores
- tidy toys
- use the toilet
- play (with toys, on the phone, on a video game )
- play outside
- play sports
- swim
- go on a picnic
- go shopping
- go to the beach
- eat a meal
- quiet time
- read a book
- put on pajamas
- go to bed
Here are some tips for using these free printable visual schedules for home and daily routines:
- Choose the cards with the activities that suit your family routines,
- print and laminate the cards with daily routines and the timetable,
- Put the visual schedule somewhere easily accessible by your child and give him a marker to check the square next to the activities he did. Then erase and reuse the schedule the next day.
For durable materials, use velcro on the sorting objects and mats to make it easy to use and store this activity.
Click to print the file
For more tips on Setting Up the Perfect Visual Schedule, read this article.
