Teaching Mama

playing, creating, and learning at home

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

facebook twitter pinterest instagram googleplus email bloglovin
  • Home
  • About
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • Meet the Team
  • Baby
  • Toddlers
    • Sensory Play
    • Fine Motor Skills
    • Gross Motor Skills
    • Toys
  • Preschoolers
    • Homeschooling
    • Alphabet
      • Printable Alphabet Packets
    • Fine Motor Skills
    • Gross Motor Skills
    • Math
    • Music
    • Reading
      • Book Activities
    • Science
    • Technology
  • Motherhood
    • Thoughts on Life
    • Faith
    • Parenting
  • Contact
  • My Store
    • Your Account
    • Cart
    • Checkout
  • Course

Visual Schedule for Toddlers

by Angela Thayer 94 Comments

Visual schedules are a wonderful way to set your day up for success. They give children a clear idea of what the sequence and expectations of the day are. For young children and children with special needs, this is highly important. I’ve found that showing my kids the plan for the day helps our day run more smoothly.

Today I’m excited to share with you my brand new visual schedule cards. And it’s a free printable! This was designed to use with toddlers, but would also be great for preschoolers, children with autism or SPD, and children with other special needs.

visual schedule for toddlers

I love how these schedule cards turned out! I hired a friend to create the clip art for these cards so they are unique. There are 22 cards, along with blank cards that you can write or draw on.

Visual schedules are static, meaning they remain present after words are spoken. Children can refer to them to understand what is coming next in the day. Regular routines are learned more easily when it is represented visually.

How to use Visual Schedules:

I’m going to share a few ways to use visual schedules. This is to give you some ideas on how you could use the visual cards for your child. Since these cards are designed for young children, there are cards for things a typical toddler would do. There are blank cards that you can write or draw pictures on if you’d like to add something else to your day.

Visual Schedule on the Fridge

The first way is by placing a small magnet on the back of each card and then putting them on the magnetic surface of a refrigerator. Since they have a magnet, it makes it very easy to move the cards around.

You could place them in a straight line or make a couple rows.

visual schedule on fridge

Visual Schedule in a Pocket Chart

The next way is to use a pocket chart. Pocket charts are found in a lot of classrooms, so if you are a parent, you may not have one available to you. The pocket charts are nice because you can set the cards in the plastic pouch and move them around easily. This is one we have in our school room and it’s nice to have out so that my 3-year-old can see what we have going on for the day.

visual schedule in pocket chart

This pocket chart is from Apple to Zebra and we love how cute it is!

visual schedule

Visual Schedule in a Binder

I love the idea of using a binder and breaking down the day into 3 parts: morning, afternoon, evening. So for the morning, you would have the cards for what the morning routine looks like. For example, it may look like the following picture.

morning routine cards

This type of schedule is helpful for children who get overwhelmed by looking at a complete schedule.

Visual Schedule on a Line

Lastly, I like to place a visual schedule on a line of wire with hooks to hang the cards. This wire line is from Ikea and we have it hung in our school room.

visual schedule for children

In all honesty, I created this schedule to help my youngest with our routine at home. He can have meltdowns when he doesn’t want to do what we have planned. He does much better when he knows what is going on. Since he can’t read yet, I decided to make this visual schedule for him. This helps him understand what to expect of the day. He loves to see it all! Most of the days, we have the same things going on, but sometimes we add in an appointment or a play date.

Visual Schedule for children - free printable

If you are also interested in using a visual schedule, I’d love for you to use my free printable! All you need to do is sign up for my weekly newsletter, and then it will be sent to you right away. Make sure to check your spam folder in case the email got sent there.

I’d love to know…who are you going to use this visual schedule with?

Related Posts

  • How to Create a Balanced Preschool RoutineHow to Create a Balanced Preschool Routine
  • Home Preschool ScheduleHome Preschool Schedule
  • How Play Impacts ChildrenHow Play Impacts Children
  • Play and Learn Toddler Activities BookPlay and Learn Toddler Activities Book
  • 10 Valentine Crafts for Toddlers10 Valentine Crafts for Toddlers
  • Cotton Ball SmashCotton Ball Smash

Sharing is caring!

15059shares
  • Facebook 561
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Printables, Toddlers Tagged With: routine, schedule, toddlers

Comments

  1. Samantha says
    April 25, 2018 at 7:27 pm

    I’m excited to print these for my three year old!! I think she will like knowing the schedule and we will work on her telling me what’s next 🙂 Thanks so much for these!!!

    Reply
  2. Cindy says
    April 29, 2018 at 9:45 am

    Where can I get the apple chart? Would be great for our classroom!

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      April 30, 2018 at 8:08 pm

      I got it from this website: https://www.appletozebra.com/

      Reply
  3. Angela says
    April 29, 2018 at 10:18 am

    Love all your ideals

    Reply
  4. Kris says
    April 29, 2018 at 10:29 am

    Printing these to use with my grandsons. One of my grandsons is autistic and I like the clarity of these pictures. Thank you for this brilliant idea.

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      April 30, 2018 at 8:07 pm

      I am so happy to hear this! Thanks for sharing and I hope this is a big help to you!

      Reply
  5. Lily Egan says
    May 2, 2018 at 2:31 am

    My English language learners in Catalunia!

    Reply
    • Karena Roodt says
      October 7, 2019 at 2:40 am

      Hi. I really excited to use this with my almost three daughter who can go to a daycare because she is sick. So I am trying to do stuff with her at home.

      Reply
  6. Mary Marzulli says
    May 2, 2018 at 12:23 pm

    I am an early intervention teacher and have a child with severe anxiety. I am going to use this to help him understand what is going to happen during the day.
    Thanks for sharing this, it’s way cuter than anything else that I have seen!

    Reply
  7. Andew Fox says
    May 17, 2018 at 5:56 am

    They look amazing, but my only question is how do I can print them?

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      May 18, 2018 at 6:30 am

      Once you put your email address in, you will be sent the file to print. It is a PDF, so you can open it up and just print it.

      Reply
      • Danielle says
        June 7, 2020 at 11:52 am

        Hi! Love these! What paper is best to print on? Card stock? And do you laminate?

        Reply
        • Angela Thayer says
          June 10, 2020 at 12:14 pm

          Thank you! I like printing these on card stock and then laminating to make them last longer.

          Reply
  8. Marcy Tyson says
    May 19, 2018 at 4:41 pm

    Thank you

    Reply
  9. Swetha says
    May 24, 2018 at 2:53 pm

    Thank you

    Reply
  10. Kristina Gilchrist says
    May 27, 2018 at 2:06 am

    These ideas look great!

    Reply
  11. Oanh says
    July 8, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    Thank for your ideas. They ảe really useful for teaching children.

    Reply
  12. Kristin says
    July 9, 2018 at 2:52 am

    I am going to use these with my 4 year old who needs a lot of prompting to get ready in the morning.

    Reply
  13. Charlene says
    July 9, 2018 at 7:12 pm

    These are great! I can’t wait to use them with my twin 4 year olds and my 2 year old. Our summer schedule has been hectic and I’m hoping this helps us get into a routine

    Reply
  14. Alaa says
    July 29, 2018 at 12:53 am

    How can I print the schedule?

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      July 30, 2018 at 5:43 pm

      After you enter your email address, you will get an email with the PDF. Then you can download it and print it.

      Reply
  15. DAnn says
    July 29, 2018 at 11:40 am

    I need the apple schedule holder !! How and where can I order ???

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      July 30, 2018 at 5:43 pm

      You can find them on this website: https://www.appletozebra.com/

      Reply
  16. Kim Cawthern says
    August 5, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    Anxious to try these with my almost 3 year old autistic granddaughter.

    Reply
  17. Mary Nasieku says
    August 5, 2018 at 9:07 pm

    This is wonderful, I wil use it during assessment of children with special needs

    Reply
  18. Robin says
    August 29, 2018 at 11:09 am

    Awesome idea! I have a 7 year old this will help tremendously, since she likes to “drag her feet” when we need to hustle. Surprisingly, this may actually help my 15 yr old w/ Asperger’s, too. She still has trouble prioritizing what needs to get done every day to be on time for school and things.

    Thank you!!!

    Reply
  19. patty o'donnell says
    September 11, 2018 at 3:48 pm

    I want to use this for my daughter, She has Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. She is 23 years old. Is 100% non verbal. but she CAN recognize photos and will touch or tap pics of what she wants. been in search of images that are uniform and easily recognizable. not too abstract. these look just right. so eager to try them with her.

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      September 11, 2018 at 9:11 pm

      Oh I am thrilled to hear this! I hope they work wonderfully for her!

      Reply
  20. Amand a says
    September 13, 2018 at 1:50 pm

    I have been searching for hours for good, clear, simple free pictures and these are perfect. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  21. Stephanie Lane-Baker says
    September 25, 2018 at 10:07 am

    These look wonderful for my toddler classroom. Please send link to my e-mail for the download.

    Reply
  22. Carolyn says
    November 10, 2018 at 11:30 am

    These are so bright and cheerful. I wish learning would have been so much fun when I was young

    Reply
  23. Huong says
    November 27, 2018 at 9:40 pm

    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  24. Jenelle Aldrich says
    February 6, 2019 at 11:08 am

    I am so excited to use theses with my kids at school! As well as share it with my sister for her own two kiddos at home.

    Reply
  25. Jenelle Aldrich says
    February 6, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    Do I just need to put in my email and this will get emailed to me? I would love to use this will my kiddos at school as well as share it with my sister for my niece and nephew.

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      February 6, 2019 at 8:59 pm

      Yes, just put your email in and it will be emailed to you!

      Reply
  26. Laurie Raulerson says
    March 6, 2019 at 3:59 pm

    Do you have a picture to add to the picture schedule of a common yoga pose like downward facing dog? I am an occupational therapist. I love your visual schedules and some of my patient’s could benefit from a card for yoga time. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      March 7, 2019 at 9:22 pm

      I don’t have that picture, but I will ask my clip artist to create one. That’s a great idea!

      Reply
  27. Jessica says
    March 13, 2019 at 12:20 pm

    Thanks

    Reply
  28. joanne norby says
    March 20, 2019 at 10:45 pm

    I am going to use the visuals with my toddler class

    Reply
  29. deja says
    March 21, 2019 at 9:42 am

    Ive put in my email and sent the request for the schedule. Its been 10mins and still havent gotten it. Do I have to do something else?

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      March 22, 2019 at 9:23 am

      I’m sorry. Sometimes the printable gets sent to a spam or promotions folder. I will send it to you again!

      Reply
  30. Patty says
    March 27, 2019 at 3:02 pm

    Would like for my son who has autism 🙂

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      March 28, 2019 at 4:08 am

      Great! If you fill in your email in the box, the printable will be sent to you. Thanks!

      Reply
  31. Toria says
    April 5, 2019 at 4:40 pm

    My little charge was asking for something just like these!

    Reply
  32. Kim says
    April 13, 2019 at 3:50 pm

    I’m excited to use for my daughter with ASD and my 4 year old son who relies on self care prompts every day! Thank you!

    Reply
  33. GMA says
    April 23, 2019 at 4:49 pm

    I will use these for my 4 year old grandson-he loves a schedule always asks-what comes next!

    Reply
  34. Lois says
    April 27, 2019 at 5:19 am

    I have subscribed to the website but I couldnt get this free printable visual schedule that I am so exicted to use for my daughter at home. May I know how can I get it?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      April 27, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      Hi there! Have you checked the ‘Promotions’ tab? On gmail, sometimes my emails get sent there. If you can’t find it, let me know and I’ll email it again.

      Reply
      • Lois Kiew says
        April 28, 2019 at 4:37 am

        Hi Angela,

        I have checked the ‘Promotions’ tab and yea, it was there. 😉 Thanks and can’t wait to use it for my kid.

        Reply
  35. Erica says
    April 28, 2019 at 12:50 pm

    These are the most beautiful visual aid images I’ve been able to find! Can’t wait to start using them. Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  36. Ashley says
    May 16, 2019 at 12:11 pm

    Thank you for the routine printables. We just got home from speech therapy with our 4 year old and because she has meltdowns when she is unable to communicate her wants and needs or when she has to do things out of her routine like going to speech therapy this is what was suggested for us to try with her!

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      May 26, 2019 at 8:33 pm

      Oh I’m so pleased to hear this! Thank you for sharing!!

      Reply
  37. Renee says
    May 29, 2019 at 9:08 am

    hi how to print the visual schedule? i entered my mail also …didn’t receive any mail.. can you please help me with this?
    thanks

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      June 1, 2019 at 6:22 pm

      It should’ve arrived. Make sure to check the promotions tab in your email. If you still haven’t got it, let me know and I’ll manually send it.

      Reply
  38. Tonia says
    May 29, 2019 at 9:19 am

    Thank you. New mom of child with traumatic history. Needs the structure and working on verbal communication. The visual schedule has to help.

    Thanks for the reminder, the resource and motivation to get with the program.

    Much needed.

    Reply
  39. April says
    July 1, 2019 at 2:30 pm

    I am hoping to use this with my soon to be 3 year old who has a language delay (mostly receptive). I am hoping that having this visual schedule will help him know what to expect of our day easier.

    Reply
  40. Stefanie says
    July 25, 2019 at 9:10 pm

    I plan to use these with my 4, 3, and 2yr old. My 4 year old tends to shut down very easy when we start doing something so I’m hoping this will help her get in a routine and feel more confident about her day.

    Reply
  41. Alina says
    September 1, 2019 at 12:52 pm

    Thank you!

    Reply
  42. Miss Pam says
    September 12, 2019 at 2:04 pm

    I love all your stuff and guidance! I had some trouble figuring out how to download the schedule cards. Can you please help with that? I did subscribe and was able to download other things. THANKS!

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      September 19, 2019 at 7:28 am

      I’m so sorry! It should’ve been sent to your email right away. If you don’t see it, email me at angela(at)teachingmama(dot)org.

      Reply
  43. Karen Morrisby says
    October 19, 2019 at 9:25 pm

    I’m so happy to find these as I was wanting some for my 2 yo daughter. My 2 nieces have learning disabilities, so I’m so excited to laminate and share these with my sister to use at home to help keep her kids and house organised as she has 4 children and it gets quite hectic….. thanks so much for sharing these 🙂

    Reply
  44. Claire says
    November 8, 2019 at 1:15 am

    Hi from Ohakune, New Zealand! I will be using these for my 2 year old so she can participate with her 4 yr old, 10 yr old and 12 year old siblings in the morning routine. She loves to ‘help’ just now but struggles to follow multiple instructions. Visualising what she has to do and how she needs to contribute will hopefully make her feel much more included!

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      November 8, 2019 at 9:34 am

      Wow, I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
  45. Crystal Elder says
    December 16, 2019 at 8:57 am

    Your visual schedule cards have been so extremely helpful. I love all the little visual aids you come up with. My youngest daughter is autistic and I searched all over trying to find the perfect visual schedule to be able to help her. That is how I stumbled upon your site and I have been a huge fan ever since! Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in and the great blogs!

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      December 16, 2019 at 10:23 am

      I’m s happy to hear this. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  46. Sam says
    December 28, 2019 at 4:34 pm

    Excited yet anxious to see if these will help with my 4 year old who is currently going through assessments for Aspergers. She likes routine and hates any little change so hoping to find something that will help with it. Fingers crossed. 😊

    Reply
  47. Catalina says
    January 16, 2020 at 11:44 am

    What age is recommended to start using this?

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      January 19, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      I would use it with ages 2 and older.

      Reply
  48. Edwin Stanton Spencer says
    January 27, 2020 at 3:22 am

    I have 3 lovely kids – aged 7, 4 and 1 – and I’m hoping that they will love the idea of a visual schedule as much as I do.

    Reply
  49. Melissa says
    March 2, 2020 at 8:03 pm

    Where is the icon for printing these toddler schedule cards? I subscribed to your newsletter, but haven’t got anything yet.

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      March 2, 2020 at 8:34 pm

      I’m sorry! Sometimes the email gets sent to your spam folder. I’ll send you an email with the file.

      Reply
  50. Pauline says
    March 3, 2020 at 4:42 pm

    Hi there, I’ve signed up to the newsletter but still haven’t receive an answer to print those cards. Îve already checked junk mails. Could you p’ease send them to me by email ?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      March 18, 2020 at 4:39 pm

      I’m sorry! Yes, I just sent you an email.

      Reply
  51. Denise Harding says
    March 15, 2020 at 5:47 pm

    I havent gotten anything yet there is nothing in my spam folder either.
    i even tried twice in the subscribe area.. im already subscribed because i got an email from you concerning this.

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      March 16, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      I just sent it to you! I’m sorry!

      Reply
  52. Rohini Tambe says
    March 16, 2020 at 8:28 am

    My granddaughter is looking forward to using these.

    Reply
  53. Jocelyn Clark-Quiggle says
    March 18, 2020 at 1:57 pm

    I would like to share this schedule with parents of preschool students with disabilities. They are now doing e-learning and would benefit from a schedule at home. Is there any way I can share without all having to input their e-mail? Any help you are able to provide would be appreciated as we embark on eLearning for an indefinite amount of time.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      March 18, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      Yes! Since this is a time of crisis, I give you permission to email the parents the PDF. You can add it as an attachment to the email. Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Jocelyn Clark-Quiggle says
        March 19, 2020 at 8:06 am

        Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

        Reply
  54. Janna says
    March 20, 2020 at 10:37 am

    I cannot seem to find the free printable for the visual schedule for toddlers… am I missing something? I would absolutely love these as my son would totally benefit from these.

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      March 22, 2020 at 6:47 pm

      I’m sorry! I will email it to you.

      Reply
  55. Sally Tooley says
    March 20, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    I’m excited about the printable picture schedule. I plan to us it with my SPED Kindergartener who struggles verbally. A picture schedule was recommended by her speech therapist. I think it will especially be helpful as we are trying to establish new routines for learning from home while school is out. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Gladdys Ruffle says
      May 22, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      Thank you so much. My husband will be happy because you included “Bible Time”. 🙂

      Reply
  56. K booth says
    March 31, 2020 at 1:21 pm

    My LO would love this as he gets super anxious if he can’t see his schedule. I have subscribed but haven’t received the email. please help. many thanks

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      April 1, 2020 at 9:14 am

      I’m so sorry! I’ll send you an email with it.

      Reply
  57. Sheena says
    April 10, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    This is amazing! I have been looking for a visual schedule for my little girl while we are home in qurintine. I can’t thank you enough for sharing!

    Reply
  58. Rachel says
    April 20, 2020 at 7:01 pm

    I love these thank your for sharing. I have a question is there anyway to get the last page of the blank squares in an unlocked version to add other things? Thanks just wanted to ask, I can’t wait to start using these with my son. I love the pictures thanks

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      April 21, 2020 at 7:46 am

      You’re welcome! I’ll send you an email 🙂

      Reply
  59. Valerie says
    April 20, 2020 at 11:18 pm

    Thank you for sharing these wonderful cards. I am going to be using these with my 4 yeast old. Since we ate stuck at home for awhile I need her to be on a routine. The visuals will make it fun and easy for her to see what is in store for her through the day.

    Reply
  60. Carla says
    May 9, 2020 at 12:36 pm

    I’m using these with my autistic 3 year old daughter. Hoping it will help with transitioning from one activity to another.
    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
  61. Melissa Bean says
    June 8, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    Is that just the side of your fridge that the cards are stuck to, or is there some kind of board stuck to your fridge? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Angela Thayer says
      June 10, 2020 at 12:14 pm

      It’s just the side of my fridge 🙂

      Reply
  62. Selma says
    June 17, 2020 at 12:24 am

    Hi! Thanks for sharing this with us , it will really help my daughter ♥️ .
    I’ve subscribed but I haven’t received any email from you and I’ve checked the spams box as well. Could you please send it to me? Thanks in advance 😊

    Reply
    • Zoe says
      November 12, 2020 at 8:48 pm

      Hello, This is visual schedule is amazing. I have been looking for something like this for my little boy for a long time. Thanks for sharing. Would you mind email it to me. I cannot find it under free printable. Thank you so much.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




CommentLuv badgeShow more posts
about teaching mama
sensory play crafts printables fall winter spring summer

Search Teaching Mama

Archives

Copyright © 2021 Teaching Mama · Privacy Policy · Disclosure

15059shares
  • 561
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more