Sample Summer Schedules for Kids (& Smoother Days Ahead!)

Need a summer schedule for kids? These sample summer schedules for kids will help structure your days. Daily routines for kids to contain the summer chaos, and add in routine and chore cards to make your days run even better! 

Sample Summer Schedules for Kids 

Summer is here and the kids are so excited to open the doors in the morning and play outside without needing to pack a backpack or checking their homework folders.

But, for Moms silently freaking out about how to keep your kids busy and from fighting all summer, I’m sending you some help!

I love Summer, but I love it even more when it comes with a plan.

I found out the hard way from a painful Summer experience of unplanned days, that my kids do so much better with a routine – even if it’s a flexible daily schedule – and we’re all happier for it.

Being a Stay at Home Mom is wonderful and I wouldn’t change it, but Summer days can get long and a little planning does go a long way to keeping my sanity, and the kids happy, too.

When we don’t have structure, that’s when my son tends to do awry things like paint the side of our house (true story), dig up our garden hunting for worms and even my dogs get unsettled from the free time without any consistent rhythm.

Since the kids follow my lead, with a plan for each day, not only do they act better, are more helpful with their chores and getting ready to go places, but I love that my older ones can still find time to get a little summer reading in so they aren’t behind when they go back to school in a few months.

A good schedules gives Moms (and Dads), as well as children, a good balance.

Sure, it’s freeing to have nothing on the calendar and movie days are sometimes a must, but when your schedule is wide open far too often, this is where discontentment can fester.

This is why we keep a daily routine in the Summer but that doesn’t mean we don’t have fun, too!

We love to have a theme to our days (you can check out the post and free printable daily ideas for outings and activities here), but the daily routine is what gives us structure.

 

 

Two Sample Summer Schedules for Younger & Older Kids

I have a four year old and two eight-year-olds so I’ve included two sample routines, one for little kids (ages 3 – 5) and one sample summer schedule for older kids (ages 6 -8) that my own kids follow.

I like to plan our days out by the hour. This is mostly because this is how our days are broken up whether it’s by snack, play time or bed times, and so this schedule flows naturally in and out of the school year.

Some blocks of time take more than one hour. Nap time and outdoor play time for example take up two blocks of time.

We also use routine cards (these boy’s cards and girl’s routine cards) for all three of our kids which helps them independently move through the day, which means no nagging or reminding from me!

Here’s what each sample summer schedule look like (and then you can scroll below to claim your free printable below the images.)

Grab Your Printable Summer Schedules

I’ve also included a weekly planner so you can keep track of your morning, afternoon, and evening activities as well as a to do list for the week.

Print it out, put it on your fridge and enjoy the structure of a daily routine (and I promise, your kids will be better for it too!)

Grab Your Sample Summer Schedule for Kids 3-Page Printable (It’s Totally Free!)

Also, here are 50 screen-free summer activities for kids here, to fill up independent play time and afternoon outside play time.

 

More Summer Schedules and Activities for Kids

• 50 Screen-Free Activities for Kids This Summer
• Free Printable: Summer Schedule for Kids Planner Set
• Creating Screentime Rules for Summer (Free Printable)
• 50 Activities & Experiments to Keep Kids Learning in Summer
• 24 Free Activities To Do with Your Kids This Summer
• Best Outdoor Toys for Kids for Active Play & Healthy Habits