Room Routines

Kiddie Academy Orange

Flexible Routine

Predictability and consistency are essential for all children, whether babies, toddlers, or preschoolers. While children thrive on this predictability and feel safe and secure knowing the routine, it is also important to teach children to be flexible. Rigid routines do not take individual families differences into account. For example, in a family where there is a working parent, a child may not go to sleep at 8pm, because the working parent wants quality time when they come home. As long as the child ends up getting enough sleep for their body so that they wake up ready to take on the next day, who’s to say what bed time is appropriate.

A routine that considers your child and family allows you and your child some flexibility and greatly reduces stress. Young children learn to have faith in a bigger, stronger grown up who will always keep them safe. If a bottle is given 30 minutes earlier than the plan, or a preschooler naps after they really “given up” their nap, you are all going to be happier and feel that your needs are met. Another prime example is where a child naps. Certainly you should acknowledge where they sleep best, but also recognize that schedules change. Helping children to be able to sleep in multiple places aids everyone’s flexibility.

Junior Explorers

6 weeks to 1 year

7:30 am

Centre opens, arrival of children

Greeting families, settling children, free play

9:00 am Nappy change
9:20 am Morning tea
10:00 am

Free play indoors or outdoors (weather permitting)

Individual routines (sleep and meals)

Sensory and/or arts and crafts activities

11:00 am Nappy change
11:20 am Group time
11:30 am Lunch time
12:00 nn

Settling children for sleep

Individual routines followed

2:00 pm

Nappy change

Transition to afternoon tea

2:30 pm Group time
2:40 pm Sunscreen on and transition to ourdoor or indoor play
3:00 pm Indoor/Outdoor programmed experiences
4:15 pm Nappy change
4:30 pm Group time
5:00 pm Late afternoon snack and spontaneous play

Explorers

1 year to 2 years

7:30 am

Greeting families

Settling children

9:00 am Nappy change
9:15 am Group time
9:30 am Morning tea
10:00 am

Set activities

Free play indoors and/or outdoors (weather permitting)

Arts and crafts

11:00 am Nappy change
11:15 am Group time
11:30 am Lunch time
12:00 nn

Rest time

Individual routines followed

1:30 pm Quiet activities
2:00 pm Nappy change
2:30 pm Afternoon tea
2:40 pm Programmed indoor/outoor experiences
4:00 pm Nappy change
5:00 pm Late afternoon snack

Junior Discoverers

2 years to 3 years

7:30 am

Spontaneous play

Indoor/Outdoor play

9:15 am Interactive group time
9:30 am Morning tea
10:00 am

Intentional teaching

Art and craft

Spontaneous play

11:15 am Music and movement
11:30 am Lunch time
12:00 nn

Rest time

Quiet activities

2:15 pm Group time
2:30 pm Afternoon tea
3:00 pm

Group activities

Craft

Spontneous play

Discoverers

2 years to 3 years

7:30 am

Breakfast

Indoor activities

9:10 am Group time
9:30 am Morning tea
10:00 am Outdoor play
11:00 am Indoor activities
12:00 nn Lunch
12:30 pm

Rest time

Quiet activities

2:30 pm Afternoon tea
3:00 pm Indoor/outdoor activities
5:30 pm Late afternoon snack

Visionaries

3 years to 4 years

7:30 am

Welcome

Spontaneous indoor play

9:15 am Interactive group
9:30 am Morning tea
10:00 am Spontaneous outdoor play
11:15 am

Intentional teaching

Arts and crafts

11:45 am Music and movement
12:00 nn Lunch
12:30 pm

Rest time

Quiet activities

2:15 pm Group time
2:30 pm Afternoon tea
3:00 pm

Group activities

Spontaneous play

Leaders

3 years to 4 years

7:30 am Arrival and indoor play experiences
9:00 am Group time
9:30 am Progressive morning tea and indoor learning and play experiences
10:30 am Outdoor play experiences
11:45 am Group time and transition to lunch
12:00 nn Lunch and quiet reading
12:45 pm Inddor play and learning experiences
2:00 pm Group time
2:30 pm Afternoon tea
3:00 pm Outdoor play experiences
4:00 pm Indoor play experiences

Preschool

4 years to 5 years

9:30 am Progressive morning tea
10:00am

Group time

  • Intentional teaching
  • Show and tell
  • Story time
  • Munch and move
  • Music and movement
10:30 am Outside play (weather permitting)
11:45 am Homework time
12:00 nn

Lunch

Quiet reading

1:00 pm Group time
1:30 pm Progressive classroom
2:30 pm Afternoon tea
3:00 pm Outside play (weather permitting)
4:30 pm Indoor activities
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