For some time now I’ve been pinning and saving routine chart ideas for my 3 year old. Peanut loves to know what is happening and initiate activities on her own. She often asks me questions like, “Is today choir day?” or “Do we get to go to the park today?” or “Is it snack time yet?” As such, I knew for both her sanity and mine we needed some type of routine chart that she could follow day in and day out.
Chart #1
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Chart #2
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Chart #3
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Chart #4
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Chart # 5
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Conclusion
- Use of pictures and words so that the chart could grow with her as she learns to read but also work with her now while she can only look at the pictures.
- Use labels that could also be used on our workbox chart in case we ever want to cross over
- Color and attractive images
- Flexibility to switch out labels when desired but also constant enough that the labels do not have to be reset every day
- Ability to view the entire day at once or at least an entire set of routines at once
- Ability to check off or mark an activity/event complete for self-satisfaction
- Way to store labels for easy retrieval (so that you don’t have to pull them all out of a box to find what you need)
- Small enough in size to fit on the refrigerator inconspicuously or the backside of a narrow closet door
The Result
On each Routine Chart there are a series of numbered boxes. As you’ll notice in the picture above there are two boxes with the number 1, two boxes with the number 2 and so on. I place all the activity labels in the top box and when Peanut finishes a task she moves it to the bottom box with the same number. What I really like about this is on days where the activities stay the same, I don’t have to do anything. Instead, Peanut will just move the labels from the lower box back to the upper box on the second day. It saves me time, Peanut can still see that she completed a task, but we don’t loose any labels because they always stay attached.
Currently we have 4 routine charts. For our regular routines such as our morning routine, afternoon (nap time) routine, and bedtime routine each routine has its own chart. Since these activities never change we have these on Peanut’s closet for her to mark herself every day.
Her “My Day” chart is the other chart we use and this is where I change out the labels if our day has some special events such as shopping or church or visiting friends. Beside this chart we keep the “Spare Me” chart where we store all our spare labels for easy retrieval.
I specifically created these charts so that they can be adjusted in size based on the needs of each child. For instance, if you look at the afternoon and bedtime chart above they only have 7 doubled boxes where the morning routine has 14 boxes. Each routine chart is created so that you can have anywhere from 7 to 28 activities depending on how many activities you want to include on your chart. Just cut the chart off after the desired row to make it how long or short you desire. Right now our morning chart is 14 squares long because we are still in the final stages of potty training. Eventually I hope to not have to include “diaper” and “panties” and “go potty” on every chart shortening it to only 7 squares, but for now we’ll leave it as is to remind both mommy and Peanut that its potty time.
Highlights
If you are interested in printing off some of routine charts to use with your own children, let me just give you a few highlights of some of what you will find in the FREE printable packet below.
- 8 printable pages
- 4 customizable routine charts–“My Morning Routine,” “My Afternoon Routine,” “My Bedtime Routine,” and “My Day”
- 1 single square “My Day” routine chart for when the child gets older and does not need to move the labels to see they have completed an activity
- 1 Spare Me Card for unused activity labels
- 1 routine chart extension page–to extend your routine charts from 14 to 28 square activities
- 98 round activity cards!
Making Your Charts
To make these charts, you will need computer paper, access to a laminator (I use this one, but you can always go to someplace like Mardel where they will let you laminate for $.25/foot), some scissors, and lots of velcro dots (number varies depending on how many activity cards and activity squares you will be using).
- Download and print the free routine charts below.
- Decide on the length of your charts. Do you want 7 double squares or 28 double squares? Cut accordingly.
- Laminate your charts and labels.
- Cut out your labels and spare me chart.
- Apply velcro dots to your charts and labels.
- Hang and use.
Note: Bear in mind that learning how to use the routine charts effectively, as with anything you teach your children, will take some time but I have been amazed at how quickly Peanut has caught on and enjoys using it each day
To receive your free printables, just click below. Enjoy!
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Bring up a child by teaching him the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn away from it. Proverbs 22:6