36-Month-Old Schedule With One Nap (3 years)

A 36-month-old schedule with one nap: wake at 6:45 am, nap 1:00-2:00 pm, bed at 7:30 pm. That is 11 h 15 min at night plus 1 h of daytime sleep, 12 h 15 min in 24 hours, inside WHO's 10-13 hours for 3- and 4-year-olds.

Updated November 7, 2026

A sample day for a 36-month-old

Change the wake-up time and the whole day moves with it; switch the caregiver split to see who covers what.

Wake-up time

Caregiver split

Sleep in 24 hours: 12¼ h; 11¼ h at night + 1 h of nap; WHO: 10-13 h for 3- to 4-year-olds (inside the range)
One nap: 13:00–14:00; awake stretches of 6 h 15 min, then 5 h 30 min
Moving every day: 180 min; WHO's minimum, spread over 11 h 45 min awake: about 15 min per awake hour

The day, wake to bedtime

06:45Wake up
07:15Breakfast
09:30Morning snack
12:15Lunch
13:00Nap until 14:00
14:15Afternoon snack
17:30Dinner
19:30Bedtime

Split between caregivers: Parent, nanny, then partner

One parent covers the morning through lunch and the start of the nap, a nanny takes the afternoon from the end of the nap, and a partner handles dinner, bath and bedtime.

Parent
07:00–13:00
Covers wake up, breakfast, morning snack, lunch.
Nanny
13:00–17:00
Covers nap, afternoon snack.
Partner
17:00–20:00
Covers dinner, bedtime.

The 36-month-old sample day, hour by hour

Caregivers: parent, nanny, then partner. The 8 activities named in the day are picked from the library for 36 months by energy and setting.

36-month sample day, parent, nanny, then partner
Time	What happens	Who
6:45 am	Wake up, cuddle, diaper and dressing	Parent
7:15-7:45 am	Breakfast, seated at the table	Parent
7:45 am	Focus: Trace Around the Lid (5-12 min)	Parent
9:30 am	Morning snack	Parent
9:45-11:15 am	Outdoor movement: Chalk Lily-Pad Hop Path, then free play	Parent
11:15 am	Focus: Toy Car Trip Story (10-20 min)	Parent
12:15-12:45 pm	Lunch, seated at the table, with Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice	Parent
1:00-2:00 pm	Nap	Nanny
2:15 pm	Afternoon snack	Nanny
2:30-4:00 pm	Outdoor movement: Chalk Road Car Trip, then free play	Nanny
4:00 pm	Focus: Ice Tray Spoonful Count (5-12 min)	Nanny
5:30-6:00 pm	Dinner, seated at the table, with Hand-Wash Picture Steps	Partner
6:00 pm	Focus: Tube Garden Copycat (5-12 min)	Partner
6:45 pm	Bath and pajamas	Partner
7:05-7:30 pm	Two books, then lights out	Partner
7:30 pm	Bedtime	Partner

Sleep budget at 36 months

Night sleep	11 h 15 min (7:30 pm to 6:45 am)
Nap	1:00-2:00 pm (1 h)
Total in 24 hours	12 h 15 min
WHO range for 3- and 4-year-olds	10-13 hours including naps: this sample is 2 h 15 min above the minimum and 45 min below the maximum
Awake time	11 h 45 min across 2 windows
Share of the day asleep	51%

Awake windows for a 36-month-old

The longest stretch awake is 6 h 15 min (wake-up to nap), the shortest 5 h 30 min. That longest window is 15 min longer than the longest one in the 35-month sample.

Window	From	To	Length
Wake-up to nap	6:45 am	1:00 pm	6 h 15 min
Nap to bedtime	2:00 pm	7:30 pm	5 h 30 min

Movement minutes per caregiver at 36 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 Chalk Road Car Trip) cover 180.

Caregiver	Hours	Awake	Movement goal
Parent	6:45 am-1:00 pm	6 h 15 min	100 min
Nanny	1:00-5:00 pm	3 h	50 min
Partner	5:00-8:00 pm	2 h 30 min	40 min

Caregiver split: parent, nanny, then partner

One parent covers the morning through lunch and the start of the nap, a nanny takes the afternoon from the end of the nap, and a partner handles dinner, bath and bedtime. 2 handoffs at 36 months:

1:00 pm, Parent to Nanny: the child is asleep (nap 1:00-2:00 pm), so nanny starts with 1 h of nap left; note when it started and how settling went.
5:00 pm, Nanny to Partner: the child has been awake 3 h, with 2 h 30 min to go until bedtime; dinner is at 5:30 pm, so say what was already eaten.

A 36-month day without the nap

Quiet hour instead	1:00-2:00 pm: books, a puzzle or soft toys in the same spot
Earlier bedtime	7:00 pm instead of 7:30 pm
Sleep that day	11 h 45 min, still inside WHO's 10-13 hours
Awake stretch	12 h 15 min from wake-up to bed, so plan the outdoor time before the quiet hour

What changes at 3 years

WHO's guideline puts 3- and 4-year-olds in a new band: 10-13 hours of good-quality sleep per 24 hours, which may include a nap, and at least 180 minutes of physical activity of which at least 60 minutes is moderate- to vigorous-intensity, spread through the day. This sample's 12 h 15 min sits inside the new range with a 1 h nap.

How 36 months differs from 35 and earlier months

From age 3, WHO's range is 10 to 13 hours of sleep per 24 hours, which may include a nap; this sample keeps a short one, and a quiet hour in the same slot works on days without it.

Compared with the 35-month sample: wake-up is earlier by 15 min and bedtime is earlier by 15 min.

This is the last sample on the site. WHO's range from age 3 is 10-13 hours per 24 hours, which may include a nap.

The 8 activities in this 36-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: Trace Around the Lid

Calm, a new domain for the day (fine motor). Tape the paper down and hold the lid flat on it with your hand. Run your crayon slowly around the edge and lift the lid: "Look, a circle!" Hold the lid while your child pushes their crayon along the edge, as far as they can go. Words to model: round, circle, around and around. Watch for: keeps the crayon touching the edge for part of the way around. Safety: Supervise so crayons stay out of mouths and throw away small broken pieces.
9:45 am, parent: 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, 29-month and 32-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 36 months, change one thing: name a color and let them jump to that pad. Watch for: goes to the pad whose color you name. 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, parent: Toy Car Trip Story

Calm, a new domain for the day (language). Tape a winding road across the floor with two stops, such as a cushion shop and a box house. Drive your car slowly and say one short sentence: "My car is going to the shop." Ask "Where is your car going?" and wait. Words to model: Where are you going?, to the shop, stop. Watch for: answers "where is your car going?" with a place. Safety: Use painter's tape, which peels off cleanly, and remove it from walkways afterward so nobody trips.
12:15 pm, parent: Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice

A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. It is also in the 28-month, 29-month, 30-month, 32-month, 34-month and 35-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 36 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, nanny: Chalk Road Car Trip

Active and outdoors: the core of the 2:30-4:00 pm stretch. It is also in the 27-month, 28-month, 30-month and 34-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 36 months, change one thing: let them give you directions for your car. Watch for: draws lines or shapes with chalk to extend the road. Words to model: go, next, store, home. Safety: Choose toy cars with fixed wheels and no small parts that come off.
4:00 pm, nanny: Ice Tray Spoonful Count

Calm, a new domain for the day (early concepts). Set the ice cube tray on the baking sheet and pour a little water into the measuring cup. Spoon water into the first pocket and say 'One. Full!' Hand your child the spoon and wait while they find their own way to fill a pocket. Words to model: one, two, three. Watch for: moves a spoonful to a pocket without spilling it all. Safety: Stay within arm's reach whenever there is water, even a small amount.
5:30 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, 34-month and 35-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 36 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.
6:00 pm, partner: Tube Garden Copycat

Calm, a new domain for the day (cognitive). Open two egg cartons side by side, one for you and one for your child. Stand one tube in a corner cup of your carton: 'One tube, in the corner.' Point to their carton and wait for them to copy. Words to model: same, corner, next to. Watch for: places the tube in the same cup as yours. Safety: Use clean, dry cartons with no egg residue.

Plan the rest of 36 months

Activities in this sample day

Same age, other angles

Frequently asked questions

Do 36-month-olds need naps?

Most do. This sample keeps one nap (1:00-2:00 pm), 1 h of daytime sleep, and WHO counts naps inside the 10-13 hours 3- and 4-year-olds need per 24 hours. Some children start dropping the nap around age 3; a quiet hour in the same slot helps on those days.

How long should a 36-month-old nap?

In this sample the nap runs 1 h, from 1:00-2:00 pm, leaving 11 h 15 min for the night (12 h 15 min in total).

How long between naps for a 36-month-old?

With one nap there is no gap between naps: the child is awake 6 h 15 min before the nap and 5 h 30 min after it, until bedtime at 7:30 pm.

What time should a 36-month-old go to bed?

This sample uses 7:30 pm, which leaves 11 h 15 min of night sleep before a 6:45 am wake-up. If your child wakes at a different time, move bedtime by the same amount.

How much active play does a 36-month-old need?

At least 180 minutes across the day (WHO). In this split: parent 100 min, nanny 50 min and partner 40 min, with Chalk Lily-Pad Hop Path and Chalk Road Car Trip as the active picks.

Seasonal ideas for this age

Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.