Free printable routine chart for kids

How to make one

1. Change the title to the routine you want, such as "My bedtime routine".
2. Put the steps in the order your child does them, using the arrows to move them.
3. Pick a picture for every step. For a child who can't read yet, the pictures are the chart.
4. Print it and put it where the routine happens: by the door, the bathroom or their bed.

One routine per chart

Mornings and bedtimes have different steps and happen in different rooms. A chart for each, hung where it's used, is easier to follow than one long list. Make the first, change the title and steps, and print the second.

Pictures first

A toothbrush or a pair of shoes says more to a three year old than a word. Older children still find a picture quicker to read when they are half awake. Every step gets one, picked from the picture library.

Let the chart do the reminding

Asking "what's next on your chart?" instead of naming the step hands the routine to your child. Over time many children stop needing to look.

By age

Ages 2 to 4

A few big steps with large pictures, done together. The tick circle can be a sticker or a magnet.

Ages 5 to 7

The whole morning or bedtime in order, done more and more on their own, with a tick for each step.

Ages 8 to 12

Steps they might forget rather than ones they know, like checking their bag or setting out clothes for tomorrow.

Questions parents ask