Summer can be super chaotic and stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! With a little bit of planning and organization, you can thrive during the summer with your kids at home. Don’t let summer be a disappointment and something you dread every year.

Just a little bit of planning goes a long way. And if you aren’t a planner, don’t worry! In this post I am sharing how to make a simple daily kids summer schedule. Plus, you can even get a free printable summer schedule for kids too!

Use these schedules as a basic routine everyday. They are flexible and can change a bit, but having a place to start can turn chaos into calm.

Sample Daily Summer Schedule for Small Kids

Kids really do thrive off of structure. Having a simple schedule to use everyday can really help with that. You can also think of it just as a routine instead of a schedule. You don’t have to stick to exact times, but having a basic of idea of what you do in the morning, mid-day, and evening can help.

Sample schedule for small kids ages 1-3 years-old:

  • 7:30-8:00 – Wake up
  • 8:00-8:30 – Breakfast / get ready / morning chore (as easy as put your dishes in the sink)
  • 9:00 – Outside time/ mommy (or daddy) and me time / summer activity
  • 9:30-10:00 – Morning nap (3 year-old might not have a morning nap, if not, this could be morning TV time and snack time or an outing)
  • 11:30-12:00 – Lunch
  • 12:30 – Outing / activity / education / reading
  • 1:00-1:30 – Afternoon nap (if no afternoon nap, quiet time is a good activity)
  • 3:00 – T.V. time / electronics time / afternoon outing
  • 4:00 – Snack time
  • 5:00 – Dinner
  • 6:00 – Summer activity / free play
  • 7:00 – Bedtime routine / chore / clean up / bath time
  • 8:00 – Bedtime

The times can be moved around to accommodate different nap schedules, but the idea of the schedule is there. I think the best thing to do is plan your main activity for the day, nap times, and meal times first. The rest will usually work itself out.

Blank sample daily and hourly schedule.

Sample Summer Schedule for Older Kids

Older kids have a little bit more play time since they don’t nap, but you could definitely institute quiet time, which is perfect for reading, coloring, or another quiet time activity. This also helps kids to not be over-stimulated and burned out, which cuts down on whining.

Sample schedule for older kids ages 4-10 years-old:

  • 7:30-8:00 – Wake up
  • 8:00-8:30 – Breakfast / get ready for the day / morning chore
  • 9:00 – outside time / one-on-one time / play with mom
  • 10:00 – Morning T.V. time / electronics time
  • 11:00 – Snack / activity / reading / educational time
  • 12:00 – Lunch
  • 1:00 – Summer outing / summer activity
  • 3:00 Quiet time / down time / reading time / nap time
  • 4:00 Snack / T.V. time / electronics time
  • 5:00 Dinner
  • 6:00 Clean up / evening chore
  • 7:00 Free play / activity
  • 8:00 Movie night / activity / dessert
  • 8:30 Get ready for bed
  • 9:00 Bedtime

Schedule & Screen Time Tips

You can decide what screen time looks like in your family. This schedule has about 2.5 hours of screen time, but if you want less, then do less. Things I would recommend in your daily schedule:

  • At least one daily chore, if not 2, but you can spread them out throughout the day.
  • A bedtime routine because it makes it easier for kids to wind down.
  • Outside time. We could all use more time outside.
  • No more than 2 days a week where you’re just at home all day. There are so many free things to do, like just going to a park, so you don’t have to just be at home all the time. I find my kids are way more tolerable when we get out of the house, no matter how small.
  • Decide your electronics time. Discuss in the beginning of summer what the electronic rules are in your house. If you don’t, then they will just want to play all summer, and if you’re not keeping track it could be hours a day.
  • Try to have some one-on-one time or time where you just play with your kids. They appreciate it more than you know.

If you need some screen time charts for your house – check these out!

Screen time reward bundle chart mockup images.

Free Printable Summer Schedule for Kids Template

You can download a FREE sample Summer Schedule for Kids, plus a blank one for you. It also includes some activity, chore, and routine ideas to help you fill your schedule.

Why a Schedule Is Helpful In the Summer

When most people think of schedules they think of rigorous and hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Kids thrive off of schedules and routines. The best part is they can be so simple.

You could just plan two things each day and that would help. For example, you could plan to do a morning walk every day after breakfast and electronics time after lunch. Just a basic routine can help kids thrive and know what to expect from you and the day.

Sample daily schedule for kids ages 5-10.

How To Create a Simple Kids Summer Schedule

The best way to make a summer schedule is to write out a basic idea of what you want your days to look like. Then, plug in the different ideas each day. For example, if you want your kids to do a chore in the morning after they wake up, and they generally wake up at 8:00. Then plug in your chore of choice, let’s say make your bed, at 8:30.

If you want your kids to have outside time before they watch TV or do any electronics, then you could write in outside time at 9:00 each day. Then, plug in different activities like nature walk, scavenger hunt, sidewalk chalk, etc. Or maybe you plan a morning outing around 9:00/9:30 each day. You don’t have to stick to a strict schedule, but even just having an idea of what you do MOST days helps to keep everyone a little more sane during the summer.

If you are looking for a summer system to keep your whole family thriving this summer, check out The Summer Survival Kit for Parents. It includes tons of printables and tactics to keep your summer awesome!

The complete summer survival kid mockup images.

Summer Activity Ideas

The FREE printable you can get above includes over 60 different activity ideas to put into your schedule, but here is a list of some of our favorites:

If you want an even more detailed list of summer activities with tons of different ideas on how you can do that activity, you can check out my Summer Activities Binder.

Get your printable summer schedule for kids now, so you can stay organized and have fun all summer long!

If you want to stay sane with your kids at home this summer, I highly recommend a summer schedule or routine. It does not have to be elaborate or rigid. Do what works best for you and your family, but having some type of routine in place will help your kids thrive and make your summer so much more enjoyable. Download the free printable summer schedule for kids sheets and activities to make your summer even easier!

Free printable daily sample summer schedule for kids big & small Pinterest pin.