29-Month-Old Schedule With One Nap (2 years 5 months)

The 29-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 29 months by energy and setting.

Sleep budget at 29 months

Awake windows for a 29-month-old

The longest stretch awake is 5 h 45 min (wake-up to nap), the shortest 5 h 30 min. That longest window is 15 min longer than the longest one in the 28-month sample.

Movement minutes per caregiver at 29 months

WHO: at least 180 minutes of varied activity a day. Split by awake time the goals total 190 minutes; the outdoor stretches (Chalk Lily-Pad Hop Path and Shadow Stomp and Wave) 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 29 months:

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

How 29 months differs from 28 and 30 months

The 8 activities in this 29-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: Egg Cup Circle Stamping

  Calm, a new domain for the day (early concepts). Tape a large sheet of paper to the floor or table and put a little paint in two ice-tray pockets. Dip an egg cup into one color, press it on the paper and say 'A red circle!' Hand your child a stamper and pause to see what they do with it. Words to model: circle, red, blue. Watch for: presses the stamper down and lifts it to look at the mark. Safety: Use only washable, non-toxic paint made for young children, and sit right beside your child.

• 9:45 am, nanny: Chalk Lily-Pad Hop Path

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 9:45-11:15 am stretch. It is also in the 26-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 29 months, change one thing: space the pads a little farther apart. Watch for: jumps from one pad to the next without stopping. Words to model: two feet, next pad, frog. Safety: Use thick chalk only and keep it out of mouths; skip wet or mossy ground.

• 11:15 am, nanny: Tube and Block City

  Calm, a new domain for the day (creativity & pretend). Stand two tubes up and lay a block across them: "A bridge!" Set out the box as a garage and say "Let's build a city." Wait and watch what your child builds first, then copy their idea next to it. Words to model: under, on top, bridge. Watch for: balances a block on standing tubes. Safety: Use blocks too big to pass through a toilet-paper tube, and remove staples and tape from the tubes and box.

• 11:45 am, nanny: Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice

  A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. It is also in the 28-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 29 months, change one thing: stop asking and let them pick a utensil as each food arrives. Watch for: switches utensils after a try that does not work. Words to model: spoon, runny, which one?. Safety: Let hot soup cool and test it yourself before serving.

• 2:30 pm, parent: Shadow Stomp and Wave

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 2:30-4:00 pm stretch. It is also in the 27-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 29 months, change one thing: ask them to make their shadow touch yours without touching you. Watch for: makes the shadow do something on purpose. Words to model: behind, big, gone. Safety: Never look at the sun, and use a hat and sun protection on bright days.

• 4:00 pm, parent: Three Jars, Three Lids

  Calm, a new domain for the day (fine motor). Line up the three jars with their lids off and mixed up in a pile. Try the biggest lid on the smallest jar and say "Too big!", then twist it onto the right jar. Unscrew it again, hand the pile over and wait while your child tries. Words to model: too big, too small, fits. Watch for: tries a lid on a jar and switches after a misfit. Safety: Use plastic jars only, never glass, and check the lid edges for sharp spots.

• 5:30 pm, partner: Soft-Cube Fork Spearing

  A mealtime skill practiced during dinner. It is also in the 20-month and 23-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 29 months, change one thing: cut the cubes a little smaller so aiming takes more care. Watch for: steadies the plate with the other hand. Words to model: poke, stuck, bite. Safety: Cook vegetables until they squash between your fingers; skip hard raw pieces.

• 6:00 pm, partner: Mystery Tote Bag Guess

  Calm, a new domain for the day (language). While your child watches, drop 4-5 familiar objects into a tote bag. Let them reach in, feel one object and guess before pulling it out. Pause once it is out and wait for them to name it. Words to model: What is it?, soft, bumpy. Watch for: names an object as it comes out. Safety: Use objects bigger than a toilet-paper-tube opening, with no sharp edges or batteries.

Plan the rest of 29 months