20-Month-Old Schedule With One Nap

The 20-month-old sample day, hour by hour

Caregivers: stay-at-home parent. The 8 activities named in the day are picked from the library for 20 months by energy and setting.

Sleep budget at 20 months

Awake windows for a 20-month-old

The longest stretch awake is 5 h 45 min (wake-up to nap), the shortest 5 h. That longest window is 30 min longer than the longest one in the 19-month sample.

Movement minutes per caregiver at 20 months

WHO: at least 180 minutes of varied activity a day. Split by awake time the goals total 185 minutes; the outdoor stretches (Bubble Wand Turns and Two-Hoop Nature Sort) cover 180.

Caregiver split: stay-at-home parent

One parent is home all day and covers wake-up through the late afternoon; a partner joins after work for dinner, bath and bedtime. 1 handoff at 20 months:

• 5:30 pm, Parent to Partner: the child has been awake 3 h, with 2 h to go until bedtime; dinner is at 5:30 pm, so say what was already eaten.

How 20 months differs from 19 and 21 months

The 8 activities in this 20-month day

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

• 7:45 am, parent: Kick Over the Tube Pins

  Active, a new domain for the day (gross motor). Stand the tubes in a row on a hard floor or flat path. Put the ball two steps in front of them and kick it gently: "Kick... crash!" Set the ball by your child's feet and wait for their kick. Words to model: kick, fall down, one, two. Watch for: swings one leg with a short balance on the other. Safety: Use a soft, light ball and clear other toys out of the kicking area.

• 9:45 am, parent: Bubble Wand Turns

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 9:45-11:15 am stretch. Blow a few bubbles and let your child chase and pop them. Stop, hold the wand up and wait, looking at your child expectantly. Accept any request, a reach, a sign for more or a word, and blow again: "More bubbles!" Words to model: more, my turn, your turn. Watch for: asks for more bubbles with a look, sign, sound or word. Safety: Keep the bottle in your hand or out of reach; bubble solution is not for drinking.

• 11:15 am, parent: Block Bed for Teddy

  Calm, a new domain for the day (creativity & pretend). Say "Teddy is sleepy. Let's make a bed," and lay two blocks side by side. Lay teddy on them and say "Too small!" Hand your child a block and wait to see where they put it. Words to model: bed, long, next to. Watch for: lines blocks up side by side. Safety: Use blocks too large to pass through a toilet-paper tube, and put away any that are chipped or splintered.

• 11:45 am, parent: Soft-Cube Fork Spearing

  A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. Cut soft food into cubes that hold together but squash easily. Spear one cube slowly with your own fork: "Poke!" Lay the fork beside your child's plate and wait for them to pick it up. Words to model: fork, poke, stuck. Watch for: holds the fork in a fist and pokes the food. Safety: Use a toddler fork with blunt tines, and your child stays seated while eating; no walking with a fork.

• 3:00 pm, parent: Two-Hoop Nature Sort

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 3:00-4:30 pm stretch. Lay two hoops on the grass, then walk together collecting leaves and big pinecones into the bucket. Tip the bucket out, put a pinecone in one hoop and a leaf in the other, and say 'Pinecones here, leaves there.' Hand your child a find and pause while they decide. Words to model: pinecone, leaf, same. Watch for: puts a find in the hoop that already holds the same kind. Safety: Collect only things bigger than a toilet-paper-tube opening; leave acorns, berries, seeds, mushrooms and small stones on the ground.

• 4:30 pm, parent: Box Lid Ramp Races

  Active, a new domain for the day (cognitive). Prop one end of a flattened box on a cushion to make a low ramp on the floor. Let your child watch one ball roll down, then say 'Ready... go!' Hand them the ball and wait for them to try it. Words to model: ready, go!, down, fast. Watch for: lets go at the top instead of pushing it down by hand. Safety: Keep the ramp low and on the floor, never on a table or sofa edge your child might climb.

• 5:30 pm, partner: Snack Tub Lid Twist

  A mealtime skill practiced during dinner. Put a few snack pieces in the tub while your child watches, and close the lid with just a quarter turn. Set the tub on the high-chair tray or table and wait to see what your child tries. If they pull or bang, hold your own closed tub beside theirs and turn its lid slowly: "Turn, turn... open!" Words to model: turn, open, closed. Watch for: grips the tub with one hand while the other works the lid. Safety: Your child stays seated while eating, and pieces are soft and cut small enough for their age, never whole grapes, nuts or hard raw chunks.

• 6:00 pm, partner: Tote Bag Fetch Mission

  Active, a new domain for the day (language). Spread 4-5 familiar objects around the room where your child can see them. Hold the tote bag open and say "Put the ball in the bag," keeping your hands still. Wait while your child looks around and decides. Words to model: in the bag, Where's the...?, thank you. Watch for: brings the named object without a point. Safety: Use a cloth tote with short handles and no drawstrings, and never put any bag over anyone's head.

Plan the rest of 20 months