27-Month-Old Schedule With One Nap (2 years 3 months)

The 27-month-old sample day, hour by hour

Caregivers: full-day nanny. The 8 activities named in the day are picked from the library for 27 months by energy and setting.

Sleep budget at 27 months

Awake windows for a 27-month-old

Both stretches awake last 5 h 30 min. The longest window is the same length as in the 26-month sample.

Movement minutes per caregiver at 27 months

WHO: at least 180 minutes of varied activity a day. Split by awake time the goals total 185 minutes; the outdoor stretches (Chalk Road Car Trip and Shadow Stomp and Wave) 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 27 months:

• 8:00 am, Partner to Nanny: the child has been awake 45 min, with 4 h 45 min to go until the nap; breakfast is at 7:45 am, so say what was already eaten.
• 6:00 pm, Nanny to Parent: the child has been awake 3 h 30 min, with 2 h to go until bedtime; dinner is at 6:00 pm, so say what was already eaten.

How 27 months differs from 26 and 28 months

The 8 activities in this 27-month day

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

• 8:15 am, nanny: Chalk Road Car Trip

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 8:15-9:45 am stretch. On a safe patch of sidewalk or patio, draw a wide road with a square house at one end and a store at the other. Drive your car from the house, "Vroom, to the store!", and park it there. Give your child a car and wait to see where they drive. Words to model: stop, go, next. Watch for: keeps the car on the chalk road. Safety: Play on a sidewalk, patio or playground, never on a driveway or anywhere cars move.

• 9:45 am, nanny: Copy My Crayon Line

  Calm, a new domain for the day (fine motor). Tape a large sheet to the table and sit side by side, each with a crayon. Draw one slow line from top to bottom, saying "Down." Point to the space next to your line and wait. Words to model: down, across, round and round. Watch for: makes a mark in the same direction as yours. Safety: Use washable, non-toxic jumbo crayons and keep your child seated while drawing.

• 10:15 am, nanny: Tape-Line Tightrope Walk

  Calm, a new domain for the day (gross motor). Stick a straight line of tape about 10 feet (3 m) long across the floor. Walk it slowly yourself with your arms out: "Slow feet on the line." Wait at the start and let the child try it their own way. Words to model: slow, on the line, wobble. Watch for: puts most steps on or touching the line. Safety: Use tape that peels off cleanly and check for loose ends afterward: pieces of tape go straight into mouths.

• 12:00 pm, nanny: Hand-Wash Picture Steps

  A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. It is also in the 24-month and 26-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 27 months, change one thing: give two steps at once: "Soap and rub." Watch for: rubs palms with soap before rinsing. Words to model: next, soap, dry. Safety: Use a stable, non-slip step stool and stay right behind your child.

• 3:00 pm, nanny: Shadow Stomp and Wave

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 3:00-4:30 pm stretch. Go out when the sun is low and shadows are long, and stand so your shadows fall on flat ground. Wave your arm and say 'Look, my shadow waves!' Then pause and watch. Wait for them to notice their own shadow and move it; copy what their shadow does. Words to model: shadow, behind, big. Watch for: looks from their body to the shadow while moving. Safety: Play in a fenced or traffic-free area; chasing games can pull toddlers toward the street.

• 4:30 pm, nanny: Color Parking Lot for Cars

  Calm, a new domain for the day (early concepts). Tape the two colored sheets to the floor a little apart, matching the colors your cars come in. Drive a red car onto the red sheet, 'Red car parks on red,' and do the same with a blue car. Hand your child a car and pause while they drive it somewhere. Words to model: red, blue, park. Watch for: parks a car on the sheet of its color after your model. Safety: Use chunky toy cars with wheels that cannot come off, and check for loose parts first.

• 6:00 pm, parent: Small-Pitcher Pour at Snack

  A mealtime skill practiced during dinner. It is also in the 24-month and 25-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 27 months, change one thing: ask them to stop when the cup is half full. Watch for: stops pouring before the cup overflows. Words to model: slow, stop, full. Safety: Pouring and drinking both happen seated.

• 6:30 pm, parent: Name-and-Roll Family Circle

  Active, a new domain for the day (social-emotional). Sit on the floor in a small circle with legs apart, close enough to touch feet. Say a name, "Ball to Grandma," and roll the ball to that person. Grandma names your child and rolls it back; pause so your child can stop or catch it. Words to model: your turn, who's next?, roll. Watch for: waits while the ball goes to someone else. Safety: Use a soft, light ball too big to fit in your child's mouth, and play on a clear floor or grass.

Plan the rest of 27 months