Let’s be honest: routines in the summer are less about strict schedules and more about survival. If you’re parenting a 5-year-old with big energy, a 3-year-old daughter with ADHD who can’t sit still for more than 20 seconds, and a 4-month-old baby who thinks naps are optional… you know. A summer routine for kids and baby isn’t about getting everyone dressed and ready by 7:00 a.m. It’s about creating structure, rhythm, and predictability—without overloading yourself or your kids.
Here’s how we’re making it work in my neurodivergent household, with a little flexibility, a lot of grace, and a healthy dose of “close enough is good enough.”
Why Even Have a Summer Routine?
Because chaos breeds chaos. And while summer is supposed to be more relaxed (and it is!), a total free-for-all quickly turns into sensory overload, meltdowns, and kids climbing the walls by 9 a.m.
A basic summer routine for kids and baby helps:
- Keep kids regulated (especially neurodivergent ones)
- Build in transitions and expectations
- Reduce decision fatigue for parents
- Make time for rest, play, and actual fun
Spoiler alert: It won’t be perfect. But it will be better than winging it every day while trying to make toast with one hand and hold a teething baby in the other.
How to Create a Summer Routine For Kids That Works (for You)
Here’s how we built our summer flow—without trying to copy some influencer mom’s color-coded spreadsheet.
1. Start with Anchor Points
Anchor points are consistent parts of your day that happen no matter what.
Ours include:
- Wake-up time window (7:00–8:00 a.m.)
- Meals/snacks every 2–3 hours
- Naps/quiet time mid-afternoon
- Wind-down/start bedtime by 6:30 p.m.
Everything else can shift around those. Some days the baby naps earlier. Some days lunch is picnic-style on the floor. And that’s fine!
🕓 Use a visual daily schedule with pictures to help toddlers see what’s coming—it’s been huge for my ADHD kiddo and honestly helps me, too.
2. Theme Days = Predictable Fun
Rather than planning new activities every single day (cue burnout), we repeat a weekly “theme day” structure. It gives us rhythm and still leaves room for creativity.
Our simple weekly themes:
- Messy Monday – sensory bins, playdough, water play
- Try-It Tuesday – new food, toy, or outing
- Water Wednesday – sprinkler, splash pad, kiddie pool
- Thoughtful Thursday – calm crafts, puzzles, books
- Fun Friday – baking, dance party, movie night
Even if everything goes off the rails, the kids remember what day it is and what to look forward to.
📅 This dry erase calendar board helps us post the theme and any outings in a visual, neurodivergent-friendly way.
3. Chunk the Day into Mini Blocks
You don’t need a minute-by-minute schedule. Break your day into flexible time blocks and fill them based on energy, mood, and weather.
Example routine:
- Morning Block (8–10 a.m.): Breakfast + outdoor activity
- Midday Block (10–12): Craft, sensory bin, or screen time
- Lunch + Baby Nap (12–2): Independent play or reading time
- Afternoon Block (2–4): Water play or playdate
- Evening Block (4–6): Dinner prep, dance party, cleanup
- Bedtime Wind Down (6–8): Baths, stories, low lights
The baby’s schedule might shift a little, but anchoring around her naps helps us all stay (mostly) sane.
4. Build in Sensory Breaks
This is key in our house. My daughter with ADHD needs sensory input throughout the day to stay regulated—and honestly, so do I.
We rotate options like:
- Mini trampoline jumps
- Rolling on an exercise ball
- Calm down corner with fidgets and noise-canceling headphones
- Sensory bins or water play
Even the baby benefits from sensory time—a soft textured mat, frozen teether, or being worn in the wrap outside.
🧸 This sensory tool kit has been our MVP this summer—especially on overstimulated days.
5. Lower the Bar (Seriously)
There’s this myth that summer routines have to be Pinterest-perfect to “count.” Nope.
If your version of morning structure is “cartoons until coffee hits,” that’s valid. If your kids are in swimsuits until dinner, that’s summer magic.
What matters is that you feel grounded. That your neurodivergent brain isn’t spinning with unpredictability every single day.
6. Use Visuals and Timers
Transitions are the trickiest part of any routine. Add in ADHD, sensory processing needs, and a baby who screams every time you set her down? Disaster waiting to happen.
What helps:
- Visual timers (we use sand timers and the Time Timer app)
- Picture charts for routines (morning, bedtime, cleanup)
- Countdowns for transitions (“5 more minutes of water play”)
📱 We swear by this toddler timer—even my 5-year-old uses it now to know when it’s cleanup time.
Real-Life Summer Routine (Ours Looks Like This)
Want to peek behind the curtain of our daily summer flow? Here’s what a mostly-good day looks like:
🕗 8:00 a.m. – Kids wake up, baby gets morning bottle
🧼 8:30 a.m. – Breakfast + quick chore (we play “Clean Up Commanders!”)
🎨 9:00 a.m. – Theme activity (craft, outdoor play, etc.)
📚 10:30 a.m. – Independent play or reading + baby’s first nap
🥪 12:00 p.m. – Lunch together (usually picnic-style)
🛁 1:00 p.m. – Sensory activity or quiet time
🍼 2:00 p.m. – Baby’s second nap + screen time for big kids
💦 3:30 p.m. – Water play or walk around the block
🍽️ 5:00 p.m. – Dinner + decompress time
🧸 6:30 p.m. – Bath, books, bed routines
😴 7:30–8:00 p.m. – Baby down first, then big kids
Some days go totally sideways—and that’s okay. The point is not to control the day. It’s to offer a flow that gives everyone (especially you!) fewer meltdowns and more moments of connection.
Internal Links You Might Love:
- 👉 Summer Activities for Kids and a Baby That Won’t Break Your Brain »
- 👉 How to Survive Summer with Kids and a Baby »
- 👉 Simple Routines for Neurodivergent Families »
Final Thoughts
Summer can feel like a fever dream of sticky fingers, endless snacks, and wild mood swings (theirs and yours). But having a simple, flexible summer routine for kids and baby gives you a bit of peace in the chaos.
Remember: you don’t have to “do it all.” You just have to do what works for your family. That might mean theme days and timers—or just one consistent nap time and an evening dance party.
You’re doing great. This season is wild, but it’s also filled with magic. And a good routine might just help you enjoy it (or at least survive it with fewer breakdowns).
Affiliate Disclosure
This post contains affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you—if you choose to buy something I’ve linked. I only share products I truly use or believe in. Thank you for supporting this blog (and helping me afford drive-thru iced coffee).
