19-Month-Old Schedule With One Nap

The 19-month-old sample day, hour by hour

Caregivers: two working parents and a grandparent. The 8 activities named in the day are picked from the library for 19 months by energy and setting.

Sleep budget at 19 months

Awake windows for a 19-month-old

The longest stretch awake is 5 h 15 min (wake-up to nap), the shortest 5 h. That longest window is 15 min shorter than the longest one in the 18-month sample.

Movement minutes per caregiver at 19 months

WHO: at least 180 minutes of varied activity a day. Split by awake time the goals total 190 minutes; the outdoor stretches (Ready-Set-Go Chalk Dash and Bubble Chase on the Grass) cover 180.

Caregiver split: two working parents and a grandparent

Both parents work away from home: one does the wake-up and breakfast, a grandparent covers the working day including the nap, and the other parent takes the evening. 2 handoffs at 19 months:

• 8:30 am, Parent to Grandparent: the child has been awake 1 h 30 min, with 3 h 45 min to go until the nap.
• 5:30 pm, Grandparent to Partner: the child has been awake 3 h 15 min, with 1 h 45 min to go until bedtime; dinner is at 5:15 pm, so say what was already eaten.

How 19 months differs from 18 and 20 months

The 8 activities in this 19-month day

Active picks sit in the outdoor stretches, calm ones before sleep and a self-care skill at the main meals.

• 8:00 am, parent: Ready-Set-Go Chalk Dash

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 8:00-9:30 am stretch. Draw a start line and a finish line about eight big steps apart. Stand on the start line together and say "Ready, set..." Pause before "Go!" and watch whether they wait or set off early; both are fine. Words to model: ready, set, go, run, stop. Watch for: waits for "go!" before starting. Safety: Draw the track on a patio, yard or playground, never on a driveway or near a road.

• 9:30 am, grandparent: Egg Carton Latch Surprise

  Calm, a new domain for the day (cognitive). Let your child watch you tuck a rolled sock inside an egg carton and close the latch. Shake it gently, say 'What's inside?' and hand it over. Wait while they turn it, pull and poke; do not open it for them yet. Words to model: open, shut, what's inside?. Watch for: finds the latch side instead of pulling at the hinge. Safety: Use a clean, dry carton with no egg residue, and wash hands after handling it.

• 10:00 am, grandparent: One Open Hole Shape Sorter

  Calm, a new domain for the day (fine motor). Cover every hole except the circle with painter's tape and keep only the matching pieces out. Drop one piece through and say "Circle. In!" Hand over the next circle and wait while your child tries. Words to model: circle, square, in. Watch for: turns a piece to match the hole. Safety: Use a sorter whose pieces are too big to fit through a toilet-paper tube.

• 11:30 am, grandparent: Muffin Tin Snack Hunt

  A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. It is also in the 16-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 19 months, change one thing: put food in just one cup and let them watch which one. Watch for: goes straight to the cup they watched you fill. Words to model: empty, more, found it!. Safety: Use covers too big to fit through a toilet-paper tube.

• 2:45 pm, grandparent: Bubble Chase on the Grass

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 2:45-4:15 pm stretch. It is also in the 15-month and 18-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 19 months, change one thing: change direction with every stream so they turn while running. Watch for: turns to follow bubbles going a new way. Words to model: chase, stop, more bubbles. Safety: Choose a fenced or traffic-free area and check the grass for holes, sticks and litter first.

• 4:15 pm, grandparent: Hoop Island In and Out

  Active, a new domain for the day (early concepts). Lay the hoop flat on grass or a rug with clear space all around it. Step into the hoop and say 'In!', then step out: 'Out!' Hold out your hand and pause; let your child decide whether to step in. Words to model: in, out, around. Watch for: steps into the hoop without holding a hand. Safety: Lay the hoop on a soft, even surface away from steps, furniture corners and hard edges.

• 5:15 pm, grandparent: High-Chair Tray Wipe-Down

  A mealtime skill practiced during dinner. It is also in the 13-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 19 months, change one thing: point to one visible spot and say "Wipe here." Watch for: wipes a spot after you point to it. Words to model: clean, crumbs, all done. Safety: Pick a sponge too big to fit in the mouth and stay beside your child; take it away if they start biting pieces off.

• 5:45 pm, partner: Sleepy Fingers Wind-Down Rhyme

  Calm, a new domain for the day (creativity & pretend). Sit close together in a dim room and hold up one hand. Say slowly, doing each action: "Fingers wiggle, fingers creep, fingers yawn and fall asleep." Curl your fingers into a fist for "asleep" and pause, very still. Words to model: wiggle, sleep, shh. Watch for: watches your hand during the rhyme. Safety: Do the rhyme sitting on the floor or bed, not with your child standing on furniture, so a sleepy child cannot fall.

Plan the rest of 19 months