Picking the Best Summer Schedule for Kids | 8 Free Printables

Inside: Learn how to have a stress-free summer with these summer schedules and routines for kids. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to download your free printables!

It’s that time of year that every kid loves, SUMMER!

Although the end of school looked drastically different this year, it was still school and learning had to get done. With summer, kids can let loose and be kids. Play all day with no cares in the world.

But what happens when there are no plans or schedules? 

Siblings fight more, unwanted behaviors rise, the whining is on a nonstop loop, sleep starts to dwindle and life just doesn’t feel so carefree and full of summer fun anymore. 

The reason this happens is that kids thrive on routines. They need to know what’s next and it helps if they have something to look forward to. Children also feel safe and secure when their lives are predictable. 

Also having some kind of plan to your week helps create deeper longlasting memories. Since we live in a very hot place, we need to have things to do and places to go so we’re not trapped inside for three months straight. We can be outdoors as long as water is involved because well, 110+ degrees. 

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The Importance of A Summer Schedule for Kids

Although we don’t want to overpack our kids’ schedules, knowing what to do in summer vacation with some kind of routine is incredibly beneficial.

Developmental research shows that routines decrease stress which then leads to better behavior and increased happiness. 

Also, when kids know what is next in their day, many of the tasks become habits. And habits require less mental energy. It’s like putting the brain on auto-pilot to preserve energy in order to complete complicated tasks that require more intellect or brainpower. 

Giving kids healthy and reasonable expectations encourages healthy habits that lead to optimal brain growth. 

Flexibility is also important within the routines which is why having a schedule that has slight changes each day or week is ideal. 

Lastly, if kids are used to a daily routine, disrupting this can cause even more stress. Remember, the more stress we’re adding to our kids’ brains, the more unwanted behaviors we are bound to see. 

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How to Implement a Summer Schedule and Routine 

What exactly is the difference between a schedule and a routine? 

Routines are tasks or activities that are done without planning because they recur daily. Whereas, a schedule includes activities, tasks, or events that are planned out and typically written down.

For a stress-free fun summer with kids, I think both are important to have. A routine that includes tasks in the same order every day in addition to scheduled activities or events.

There are many different ways you can implement a summer schedule for kids.

Instead of providing you with one kind of schedule or routine, I have made many different styles and types that you can fully customize. You have the option to pick what schedules will work best for your family! Click here to sign up and get them delivered to your inbox!

How to Pick a Summer Schedule and Routine

First, when picking what your summer will look like, make sure you involve your kids in the process!

Plan it during a Family Meeting! The more skin your kids have in the game, the more willing they may be to participate and have fun. 

Here are some things to consider when creating your routines and schedules:

Age of Children

A routine for a toddler may look different than a routine or schedule for a school-aged, preteen or teenager! *Teens may not be interested in following your summer schedule and that’s okay, but it doesn’t hurt to encourage them to be part of some of your plans. Or have them complete a checklist (like one of the printables you can download).

Temperament and Personalities

You may have one child who HAS to get out of the house and another who is easily overstimulated so he or she prefers to stay home. Pick a schedule and routine that is a compromise for everyone. 

Interests

Keep everyone’s interests in mind while picking what to do for your summer schedule. Don’t worry about pleasing everyone all the time. Instead, have special days such as “YOU PICK” day that rotates between kids.

Sleep

If your kids want to stay up a little later, make sure they are getting up a little later too! Sleep is imperative to brain development and the lack of sleep is becoming an epidemic. Be mindful of how many hours of sleep your kids need and do what it takes to help them get enough. 

Cost 

When planning activities, think about and budget for the cost.

Thankfully, there are so many free activities for kids to do such as swimming at your neighborhood pool, going to library events, local parks and playgrounds, playdates, dispersed camping, etc.

What we did last year was found year-long memberships that were reduced in price through promotions or sites like Groupon. This cut down on costs a lot as we frequented the water park, Science Center and indoor play places.

Self-Care for YOU!

This is not as obvious but we need to make sure within these routines and schedules that we don’t forget to take care of ourselves as parents. Personally, I do a modified version of The Miracle Morning.

I have been able to stick to my own routine hours before my kids wake up, but for you, your self-care time may be during your kids’ nap or quiet time. If you don’t have a built-in quiet time, I highly recommend incorporating one into your summer routine as well.

Again, this time can be for you as much as it for your kids! 

Since we avoid screens as much as possible because my boys’ nervous systems just can’t handle it and it’s not worth the battles, they love to do projects from companies like Kiwi Crate (use code SHARE30 for 30% off) and Little Passports. And Legos are always a winner, too, of course!

Pssst… if you are running on empty, I have a Free eBook that walks you through how to take care of yourself so you have more to give to your family. Implementing these concepts have seriously been life-changing for me!

Schedule & Routine Ideas: What to Do In Summer Vacation

There are so many different ways you can make a summer schedule and daily/weekly routine. I have made printables of the different types that you can download here!!

Block Schedules For Kids 

Although block schedule has “schedule” in the name, it is actually a way to help you keep a consistent daily routine by scheduling activities and tasks within blocks of time. The blocks remain the same every day; the activities and tasks typically change.

Sample Block Schedule

• 7:00am – 9:00am (Block 1): MORNING ROUTINE – Get dressed, eat, brush teeth, get ready for the day
• 9:00am – 12:00pm (Block 2): FUN ACTIVITY – Go somewhere fun or plan something to do at home on days you don’t feel like going anywhere. 
• 12:00pm – 1:00pm (Block 3): LUNCH & CLEAN – Eat and clean up the kitchen.
• 1:30pm – 4:00pm (Block 4:): QUIET TIME – Nap, rest, quiet or room time.
• 4:00pm – 6:00pm (Block 5): DINNER – Prepare and eat dinner then clean up after dinner.
• 6:00pm – 8:00pm (Block 6): BEDTIME ROUTINE – Hang out, read, prepare for bedtime.

Activity Block Schedules

Another way to do a block schedule is to do the same activity in a certain block every day. 

I made a few different activity block schedules that you can customize. 

Master Activity List By Category

The first block schedule I created is inspired by Modern Minimalism! She created a master list of activities and tasks, then grouped them all into categories like help, move, create, etc.

For the daily schedule, kids pick an activity under each category to do during that block of time.

Daily Routine with a Mind, Body, Soul Focus

I often see these kinds of lists for kids to complete before they get screen-time. It ensures they are filling their minds and bodies with good things first. 

The blocks in this schedule can be divided into 1.) Wake Up 2. ) Late Morning 3.) Afternoon and 4.) Evening

Wake up tasks include everything that has to do with care:

• Personal care such as eating, getting ready, and brushing teeth. 
• Family care such as daily chores or doing tasks that are helpful to the family. 
• Soul care such as reading a daily devotional, filling out a gratitude journal or daily reflection journal. *My son LOVES this One Question a Day for Kids: A Three-Year Journal: Time Capsule for Kids journal

Late Morning tasks include activities for the body such as: 

• Ride bike
• Exercise
• Jump on the trampoline
• Swim
• Hike
• Play with friends

Afternoon tasks include ways to build the brain such as: 

• Read or listen to a book
• Write 
• Do a science project 
• Make crafts (ToucanBoxes have great monthly boxes)
• Play the piano or write music
• Watch an educational video
• Design or build something
• Listen to a podcast – here are the podcasts my kids love!
• Make kindness cards

Evening tasks are whatever needs to happen to end the day or wind down:

• Dinner
• Clean kitchen/rooms
• Family time or play a game
• Read
• Sleep!!

Daily Checklist

I got this idea from one of my favorite parenting podcasts, Sunshine Parenting with Audrey Monke.

Instead of focusing on a specific schedule, your kids need to check off everything on the list each day. They can do the activities whenever they want as long as they get done. This kind of list is especially great for older kids and teenagers who don’t rely on you as much.

Summer Bucket List Schedules

I love the idea of having a summer bucket list although we have never done it. If you don’t know what a bucket list is, it’s a collection of aspirations, goals and dreams someone would like to accomplish before they leave this earth. This concept can be applied to kids and what they want to do in summer break.

There are different ways you can do a bucket list. You can pick from a huge list of activities like you can find on Busy Mom Smart Mom (Ultimate Summer Bucket List for Kids: 100+ Ways to Beat the Heat) or you can do a weekly bucket list schedule which includes places they want to go to and things they want to do; goals can be incorporated into the schedule as well. 

I’ve seen many bloggers make each day of the week a theme that starts with the same letter as that day of the week. Just check Pinterest! There are some very creative schedules out there! 

I created my own version of a summer bucket list printable for you as well!

Daily Summer Schedule and To-Do’s

Some families prefer to mix it up or change their schedule depending on the day. I’ve included a section for the schedule of events and tasks, gratitude, priorities, and meals.

You can either print out a new one to use every day or laminate it so you can reuse over and over again. I love my laminator!

Good Ol’ Weekly Schedule

This is what our family has been using until we decide what we want our blocks to be. It’s super simple to use! I laminated ours so we could reuse every week.

Every night, we figure out what we are going to do the following day and fill in the schedule. I keep it on the fridge so it’s super easy for the kids to see. They can also add to it!

Weekly Themed Schedules

One last way you can structure your summer schedule for kids can be adapted from summer camp!

Each week has a theme and with a general block schedule already in place, the activities and tasks you do will revolve around that theme. Here are super fun themed schedules:

• Camp, Learn and Play – 17 weekly themes planned out for you! No Time For Flashcards
• DIY Summer Camp – 11 weekly themes full of fun. Steamstational
• Summer Camp at Home Planner – Weekly activities including snack ideas to go along with the theme. Printable Activities Club
• At Home Summer Camps for Kids – 12 themed weeks with 84 activities including crafts, games, sensory play, dramatic play, open-play ideas, printables, and more! Teaching Mama
• 12 Ideas To DIY Summer Camp at Home – Girl Mom Chaos

What Will You Be Doing This Summer? 

Let me know if any of these schedules are helpful in planning your summer vacation with kids. If you have friends looking for routines or summer schedules, please share!