Methodology · Schedules
Preschool schedule
3y – 4y · 23 recurring slots
3–4 years: a single nap or no nap, longer attention spans, peer play in earnest, and the first symbolic-thinking surge. Schedule shifts toward longer creative and social blocks while keeping outdoor + reading time daily.
The recurring week
All seven days share the same template at this age — the rhythm is the point. Filter by slot type to see one thread of the day at a time.
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
07:00·30m07:30·25m08:00·30m08:45·25m09:15·30m09:45·25m10:15·30m10:45·25m11:30·30m12:00·90m13:45·25m14:15·25m14:45·30m15:15·30m15:45·20m16:30·30m17:15·25m18:00·30m
07:00·30m07:30·25m08:00·30m08:45·25m09:15·30m09:45·25m10:15·30m10:45·25m11:30·30m12:00·90m13:45·25m14:15·25m14:45·30m15:15·30m15:45·20m16:30·30m17:15·25m18:00·30m
07:00·30m07:30·25m08:00·30m08:45·25m09:15·30m09:45·25m10:15·30m10:45·25m11:30·30m12:00·90m13:45·25m14:15·25m14:45·30m15:15·30m15:45·20m16:30·30m17:15·25m18:00·30m
07:00·30m07:30·25m08:00·30m08:45·25m09:15·30m09:45·25m10:15·30m10:45·25m11:30·30m12:00·90m13:45·25m14:15·25m14:45·30m15:15·30m15:45·20m16:30·30m17:15·25m18:00·30m
07:00·30m07:30·25m08:00·30m08:45·25m09:15·30m09:45·25m10:15·30m10:45·25m11:30·30m12:00·90m13:45·25m14:15·25m14:45·30m15:15·30m15:45·20m16:30·30m17:15·25m18:00·30m
07:00·30m07:30·25m08:00·30m08:45·25m09:15·30m09:45·25m10:15·30m10:45·25m11:30·30m12:00·90m13:45·25m14:15·25m14:45·30m15:15·30m15:45·20m16:30·30m17:15·25m18:00·30m
07:00·30m07:30·25m08:00·30m08:45·25m09:15·30m09:45·25m10:15·30m10:45·25m11:30·30m12:00·90m13:45·25m14:15·25m14:45·30m15:15·30m15:45·20m16:30·30m17:15·25m18:00·30m
The week, at a glance
Nap or no nap, longer creative and social blocks, real peer play. The schedule keeps the outdoor + reading anchors daily, and gives pretend play the time it needs to be real (not 5-minute interruptions).Meals
Family meals (Satter framework) — the parent controls what + when + where; the child controls if + how much. Conversation matters as much as nutrition; this is where early-narrative skills get practiced.Sleep
10–13h/24h, with or without a nap (AAP). A consistent bedtime — not just a sleep duration — predicts daytime mood and attention.Body
Sustained physical play, climbing, running, balance. Outdoor blocks of 30–60 minutes beat scattered 5-minute releases. WHO recommends ≥180 min/day, ≥60 of which moderate-to-vigorous.Developmental
Pretend play becomes social (Lillard) — kitchens, dolls, dressing-up scenes. Early-literacy practices: rhyming, letter recognition, name-writing in context (not drills).Bonding
Shared reading expands into co-narration: "what do you think happens next?". Music + dancing remain regulation tools. Eye-contact rituals at meals and bedtime hold the relationship together as autonomy grows.Care
Independent dressing, toothbrushing, toilet — slowly more autonomous. Predictability + light scaffolding (visual sequences) reduces battles.Why this schedule
- Sleep: 10–13h/24h, with or without a nap.
- Pretend play: A reliable correlate of theory-of-mind and self-regulation (Lillard).
- Reading: Daily shared reading is one of the highest-yield early literacy practices (NICHD Early Child Care).
- Outdoor + physical activity: ≥180 min/day of varied activity recommended (WHO under-5s).
Sources
- · AAP Sleep
- · Lillard, Pretend Play
- · NICHD Study of Early Child Care
- · WHO under-5 guidelines
Changelog
Each time we revise this template — adding, removing, or moving a slot — we publish a new post with the change rationale. This is version 1; no revisions yet.