15-Month-Old Schedule With One Nap

The 15-month-old sample day, hour by hour

Caregivers: full-day nanny. The 8 activities named in the day are picked from the library for 15 months by energy and setting.

Sleep budget at 15 months

Awake windows for a 15-month-old

The longest stretch awake is 5 h 15 min (nap to bedtime), the shortest 5 h. That longest window is 1 h 30 min longer than the longest one in the 14-month sample.

Movement minutes per caregiver at 15 months

WHO: at least 180 minutes of varied activity a day. Split by awake time the goals total 190 minutes; the outdoor stretches (Playground Copycat Watch and Bubble Chase on the Grass) cover 180.

Caregiver split: full-day nanny

One parent handles wake-up and breakfast, a nanny covers the full working day with both outdoor stretches and the nap, and the other parent returns for dinner and bedtime. 2 handoffs at 15 months:

• 8:00 am, Partner to Nanny: the child has been awake 1 h, with 4 h to go until the nap; breakfast is at 7:30 am, so say what was already eaten.
• 6:00 pm, Nanny to Parent: the child has been awake 4 h, with 1 h 15 min to go until bedtime.

How 15 months differs from 14 and 16 months

The 8 activities in this 15-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, nanny: Playground Copycat Watch

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 8:00-9:30 am stretch. It is also in the 12-month, 13-month and 14-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 15 months, change one thing: visit the same playground at the same time each week so your child sees familiar children. Watch for: looks back at you while near other children. Words to model: too, same, friend. Safety: Check the ground for bottle caps, cigarette butts and other small litter before your child sits down.

• 9:30 am, nanny: Does It Roll? Ramp Test

  Calm, a new domain for the day (early concepts). Prop one end of the baking sheet on a cushion to make a gentle ramp on the floor. Let the ball go at the top and say 'Round. It rolls!' Set the block at the top and say 'Square. It stops.' Then pause. Words to model: round, roll, stop. Watch for: lets go of an object at the top instead of pushing it. Safety: Use a baking sheet with no sharp or rusty edges and keep the ramp low on the floor.

• 10:00 am, nanny: Window Watch Talk

  Calm, a new domain for the day (language). Stand or sit at a window with your child, holding them up if needed. Watch quietly for a moment and notice what catches their eye. When they look or point at something, name it once: "Bus." Words to model: What's that?, car, bird. Watch for: points at something outside and looks back at you. Safety: Keep windows closed or fitted with guards, and move chairs and boxes away so the window cannot become a climbing spot.

• 11:15 am, nanny: Two-Choice Snack Pick

  A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. Seat your child in the high chair and cut two familiar soft foods into small pieces. Hold up one piece of each and name both: "Banana or pear?" Pause for a slow count of five without asking again. Words to model: more, this one, all done. Watch for: points or reaches toward one of the two foods. Safety: Serve only soft pieces that squash between your fingers; quarter grapes and other round foods lengthwise and skip whole nuts, popcorn and hard raw vegetables.

• 2:30 pm, nanny: Bubble Chase on the Grass

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 2:30-4:00 pm stretch. Stand with the wind behind you and blow a long stream of bubbles across the grass. Run after them yourself for a few steps: "Chase! Run, run!" Stop blowing and wait until the child looks back at you or asks for more. Words to model: run, chase, stop. Watch for: moves faster than a walk for several steps. Safety: Keep the bubble bottle in your hand: the solution is not for drinking and stings eyes.

• 4:00 pm, nanny: Two-Block Tower Trade

  Calm, a new domain for the day (fine motor). Sit facing your child on the floor with a few large blocks between you. Place one block, then hold the next one out and say "Your turn." Wait quietly for a few seconds while your child reaches, places or knocks. Words to model: on, your turn, tall. Watch for: lets go of the block on top of the tower instead of dropping it beside it. Safety: Use blocks too big to fit through a toilet-paper tube, with no peeling paint or splinters.

• 5:15 pm, nanny: Snack Signs: More and All Done

  A mealtime skill practiced during dinner. It is also in the 13-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 15 months, change one thing: wait a moment longer before modeling, to see whether your child gestures or speaks first. Watch for: says a word attempt such as "mo" for more. Words to model: all done, more please, more banana. Safety: Skip round, hard foods such as whole grapes, nuts and popcorn, which are choking hazards.

• 5:45 pm, nanny: Colander Cage Peekaboo

  Calm, a new domain for the day (cognitive). Let your child watch you set a soft ball on the floor and cover it with an upturned colander. Ask 'Where's the ball?' and wait while they look, pat or poke at the holes. If they only poke, tip one edge of the colander up a little and pause again. Words to model: where's the ball?, under, up. Watch for: reaches for the colander instead of poking at the ball through the holes. Safety: Use a plastic or smooth-rimmed colander and check it for sharp edges or a loose handle.

Plan the rest of 15 months