35-Month-Old Schedule With One Nap (2 years 11 months)

The 35-month-old sample day, hour by hour

Caregivers: part-time nanny share. The 8 activities named in the day are picked from the library for 35 months by energy and setting.

Sleep budget at 35 months

Awake windows for a 35-month-old

The longest stretch awake is 6 h (wake-up to nap), the shortest 5 h 45 min. That longest window is 15 min longer than the longest one in the 34-month sample.

Movement minutes per caregiver at 35 months

WHO: at least 180 minutes of varied activity a day. Split by awake time the goals total 190 minutes; the outdoor stretches (Kick It Back to Me and Egg Carton Color Hunt) cover 180.

Caregiver split: part-time nanny share

A nanny shared with another family covers the late morning through the nap, so two toddlers play side by side; a parent does the early morning and the late afternoon, and a partner does bedtime. 3 handoffs at 35 months:

• 9:00 am, Parent to Nanny: the child has been awake 2 h, with 4 h to go until the nap.
• 2:30 pm, Nanny to Parent: the child has been awake 30 min, with 5 h 15 min to go until bedtime; afternoon snack is at 2:15 pm, so say what was already eaten.
• 5:30 pm, Parent to Partner: the child has been awake 3 h 30 min, with 2 h 15 min to go until bedtime; dinner is at 5:45 pm, so say what was already eaten.

A 35-month day without the nap

How 35 months differs from 34 and 36 months

The 8 activities in this 35-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: Bedtime Day Recap

  Calm, a new domain for the day (language). During the day, save one keepsake from something your child enjoyed, such as a big leaf from the park. At bedtime, hold it up and say "Look! We found this today." Pause and wait for your child to say anything about it. Words to model: Remember?, today we..., Who did we see?. Watch for: says a word or phrase about something that happened today. Safety: Keep only keepsakes bigger than a toilet-paper-tube opening, and wipe or wash nature finds before bringing them indoors.

• 10:00 am, nanny: Kick It Back to Me

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 10:00-11:30 am stretch. It is also in the 22-month, 24-month and 31-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 35 months, change one thing: add a second player, such as a sibling, so your child chooses who to kick to. Watch for: waits for "your turn" before running at the ball. Words to model: your turn, kick, stop. Safety: Play on a flat, fenced or enclosed area away from roads, with a soft ball that does not hurt if it hits a face.

• 11:30 am, nanny: Sock Hang-Up on the Basket

  Calm, a new domain for the day (practical life). Put the clean socks in a pile next to the empty laundry basket. Find two matching socks, hold them together and clip them to the basket rim: "A pair. Clip!" Hand your child a sock and ask "Where is its partner?" Words to model: pair, same, clip. Watch for: finds a matching sock without help. Safety: Clip only to the basket rim; do not set up a hanging line or string at a toddler's height, which is a strangulation risk.

• 12:15 pm, nanny: Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice

  A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. It is also in the 28-month, 29-month, 30-month, 32-month and 34-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 35 months, change one thing: ask "Why the spoon?" and wait for any answer. Watch for: says or shows why a utensil works. Words to model: spoon, runny, which one?. Safety: Let hot soup cool and test it yourself before serving.

• 2:30 pm, parent: Egg Carton Color Hunt

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 2:30-4:00 pm stretch. It is also in the 28-month, 30-month and 31-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 35 months, change one thing: ask your child to tell you which cup each find goes in, using a color word. Watch for: says a color word. Words to model: brown, same color, find. Safety: Watch for anything going into the mouth, and wash hands when you get home.

• 4:00 pm, parent: Clothespin Count on the Bucket

  Calm, a new domain for the day (fine motor). Clip one clothespin to the bucket rim and say "One!" Hand your child a clothespin, ends toward their fingers, and wait for a squeeze. Count each new clothespin as it clips on: "Two... three!" Words to model: squeeze, one, two, three, all on. Watch for: squeezes the clothespin open with thumb and fingertips. Safety: Check every spring is firmly attached and throw away any clothespin that comes apart; a loose spring is a small part.

• 5:45 pm, partner: Hand-Wash Picture Steps

  A mealtime skill practiced during dinner. It is also in the 24-month, 26-month, 27-month, 33-month and 34-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 35 months, change one thing: let your child lead the whole routine while you only watch. Watch for: starts the routine before meals with only a reminder. Words to model: next, soap, dry. Safety: Use a stable, non-slip step stool and stay right behind your child.

• 6:15 pm, partner: Cozy Cushion Calm Corner

  Calm, a new domain for the day (social-emotional). Set up a floor corner with the cushions, blanket, one book and one stuffed animal. Visit it together at calm times first: read the book there and call it "our cozy corner." When your child is upset, say "Let's go to the cozy corner" and go together; never send them there alone. Words to model: cozy corner, calm, you feel better. Watch for: goes to the corner with you when upset. Safety: Use floor cushions only, away from shelves, windows and furniture your child could climb.

Plan the rest of 35 months