21-Month-Old Schedule With One Nap

The 21-month-old sample day, hour by hour

Caregivers: full-day nanny. The 8 activities named in the day are picked from the library for 21 months by energy and setting.

Sleep budget at 21 months

Awake windows for a 21-month-old

The longest stretch awake is 5 h 30 min (wake-up to nap), the shortest 5 h 15 min. That longest window is 15 min shorter than the longest one in the 20-month sample.

Movement minutes per caregiver at 21 months

WHO: at least 180 minutes of varied activity a day. Split by awake time the goals total 190 minutes; the outdoor stretches (Curb Step-Ups on Walks and Bubble Wand Turns) 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 21 months:

• 8:00 am, Partner to Nanny: the child has been awake 1 h, with 4 h 30 min 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 3 h 45 min, with 1 h 30 min to go until bedtime; dinner is at 5:30 pm, so say what was already eaten.

How 21 months differs from 20 and 22 months

The 8 activities in this 21-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: Curb Step-Ups on Walks

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 8:00-9:30 am stretch. On a walk, stop at a low curb or step away from traffic, such as on a park path. Step up yourself, say "Up!" and turn to face the child. Offer a finger and wait for them to lift a foot onto the step. Words to model: up, down, step. Watch for: lifts a foot onto the step without kneeling or crawling. Safety: Use curbs and steps on park paths or in the yard, never at a road edge, and hold hands near any traffic.

• 9:30 am, nanny: Ready-Set-Go Car Ramp

  Active, a new domain for the day (language). Prop one end of a baking sheet on a cushion to make a gentle ramp on the floor. Hold a car at the top and say "Ready... set..." slowly. Pause with the car held still and look at your child expectantly. Words to model: Ready, set, go!, car, fast. Watch for: makes a sound or waves during the pause. Safety: Use cars larger than a toilet-paper-tube opening, with wheels that cannot be pulled off and no button batteries.

• 10:00 am, nanny: Colander Rain Shower

  Calm, a new domain for the day (fine motor). Hold the colander over the water and pour one cupful through it: "Rain!" Hand your child a measuring cup and wait while they scoop. Hold the colander still and let your child aim the pour; spills are fine. Words to model: pour, rain, full. Watch for: scoops water and keeps the cup upright until the pour. Safety: Stay within arm's reach the whole time water is out, and never leave your child in the bath, even for a moment.

• 11:45 am, nanny: Stir the Pretend Soup

  A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. It is also in the 14-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 21 months, change one thing: wait for them to offer you a taste before you ask for one. Watch for: lifts the spoon to your mouth or their own. Words to model: soup, hot, blow, taste?. Safety: Move knives, cleaning products and dishwasher pods out of reach before playing in the kitchen.

• 2:45 pm, nanny: Bubble Wand Turns

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 2:45-4:15 pm stretch. It is also in the 20-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 21 months, change one thing: wait a little longer before blowing so your child tries a second way of asking. Watch for: hands the wand back when you say "my turn". Words to model: my turn, your turn, pop. Safety: Blow bubbles outdoors or over a towel, because spilled solution makes floors slippery.

• 4:15 pm, nanny: Unpack the Shopping Tote

  Active, a new domain for the day (cognitive). Take out the heavy, glass and cleaning items yourself, leaving 4-5 safe things in a cloth tote. Hand them the bag and wait while they reach in and pull something out. Name it and its use once: 'Sponge! Sponge is for washing.' Then pause. Words to model: what's this for?, wash, eat. Watch for: shows an item's use with a gesture, like pretend scrubbing or eating. Safety: Never hand over plastic bags, glass jars, medicines, cleaning products or anything with a battery.

• 5:30 pm, nanny: Step-Stool Hand-Wash Song

  A mealtime skill practiced during dinner. It is also in the 16-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 21 months, change one thing: let them press the soap pump themselves. Watch for: rubs palms together for most of the song. Words to model: soap, rub, dry. Safety: Use a stable stool with non-slip feet and stay right behind your child; never leave them on it alone.

• 6:00 pm, parent: Which Lid Fits? Container Match

  Calm, a new domain for the day (early concepts). Set out two containers of very different sizes and put their lids in a separate pile. Hold a lid over the wrong container and say 'Too big,' then try the right one: 'It fits!' Hand your child the other lid and wait while they try it on. Words to model: fits, too big, too small. Watch for: tries a lid on more than one container before it fits. Safety: Use lids bigger than a toilet-paper-tube opening; no small screw caps or bottle tops.

Plan the rest of 21 months