Visual schedules are essential for organizing our lives. I’ve used various daily routine charts with my kids at different stages, and I want to share free printables (English, Chinese, Korean) in hopes that it can help your family!
Benefits of visual daily routine chart for kids
In order to be punctual and productive, adults and older kids depend on calendars and to-do lists.
Younger children also benefit from visual daily routine charts as they gradually learn to be independent.
As with anything in life, routine charts are not magic.
Most kids will still need some guidance from their parents.
That’s life.
However, if used consistently as a visual guide, the benefits of routine charts include:
- Communicating expectations
- Following predictable routine (including with different caregivers)
- Transitioning between activities
- Keeping a tidy and decluttered home
- Encourage healthy habits (eg, drinking water, brushing teeth, using the potty)
- Promoting independence with completing tasks
- Reducing anxiety and behavior problems
Routine charts can also help with reminding multilingual families to speak the minority language.
For example, seeing Chinese characters reminds me to speak Mandarin with my children. Korean print can help my family remember easily forgotten words.
Therefore, these free printable kids’ schedule charts are available in English, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and Korean.
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What should a visual daily routine chart for kids include?
For younger children, visual schedules should include:
- Real photographs of the activity (either of the child or task) OR drawings representing a task
- +/- Text describing the activity in the target language
For children who can read, only text is needed.
To teach time management, you can use routine charts in conjunction with this interactive printable calendar and a visual timer.
Photographs versus black and white icons for visual routine chart – which is better?
There are so many ways to present a routine chart for kids, and the best option depends on your kids and also your resources!
Color photos
- Family photos: A fantastic visual aid would be clear, close-up photographs of your child or a family member completing each daily task with no distracting background.
- Magazine cut outs: If you’re looking for a project, you and your kids can cut out photos from magazines.
Since many people do not have time or photography skills to create a personalized visual routine chart, printable color photo routine charts are a convenient and effective option!
Drawings
If you don’t have a color printer, you can use our printable daily routine chart with black-and-white icons.
Since symbols might be too abstract for younger toddlers or children with disabilities, I recommend coloring these to bring them to life!
Also, coloring can be a fun way to make the routine chart interactive and personal!
Tips for successfully using a daily routine chart with kids
Daily routines should first be presented verbally, gently, and consistently from parents.
During the day, parents and caregivers can refer to the visual chart and remind kids to look at it for guidance.
Gradually, the adult can fade out the reminders as kids learn to complete tasks and transition to new ones independently!
As for creating the visual routine chart, here are important features:
- Durable with card stock, cardboard, or laminated paper
- Noticeable: display at eye level in a prominent place (eg, high traffic hallway) and/or multiple rooms (eg, bedroom and kitchen)
- Interactive: Have a way to indicate when each step has been completed (eg, check mark, sticker, clothespin)
- Manageable: If your child struggles to master a specific task within the schedule (eg, using the potty independently), break down the process into smaller steps.
- Positive: Provide reinforcement when your child follows routine and refers to the schedule.
- Portable if the caregiver or child needs to use it in different places.
Kids Daily Routine Chart translations in English, Chinese, and Korean
Since many of you are learning Chinese or Korean with your kids like my family, I’ve tried to translate common daily tasks below with the help of fluent friends.
Here are translations for each English task in simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Hanyu Pinyin, and Korean:
- Daily Routine
- 作息时间表 / 作息時間表 (Zuòxí shíjiān biǎo)
- 하루일과
- Morning
- 早上 (Zǎoshang)
- 아침
- Midday
- 中午 (Zhōngwǔ)
- 오전
- Afternoon
- 下午 (Xiàwǔ)
- 오후
- Evening
- 晚上 (Wǎnshàng)
- 저녁
- Wake Up
- 起床 (Qǐchuáng)
- 일어나다
- Breakfast
- 吃早餐 (Chī zǎocān)
- 아침밥
- Lunch
- 午餐 (Wǔcān)
- 점심
- Dinner
- 晚餐 (Wǎncān)
- 저녁
The rest of the tasks are listed in alphabetical order by English:
- Art
- 美术 / 美術 (Měishù)
- 미술
- Bible
- 看圣经 / 看聖經 (Kàn shèngjīng)
- 성경 읽다
- Brush Teeth
- 刷牙 (Shuāyá)
- 이를 닦다
- Chores
- 做家务 / 做家務 (Zuò jiāwù)
- 집안일
- Clean Up
- 清理 (Qīnglǐ)
- 정리하다
- Dance
- 跳舞 (Tiàowǔ)
- 춤을 추다
- Drink water
- 喝水 (Hē shuǐ)
- 물을 마시다
- Exercise
- 运动 / 運動 (Yùndòng)
- 운동
- Get Dressed
- 穿衣服 (Chuān yīfú)
- 옷을 입다
- Go outside
- 去外面 / 去外面 (Qù wàimiàn)
- 밖에 나가다
- Homework
- 做作业 / 做作業 (Zuò zuo yè)
- 숙제
- Music
- 音乐 / 音樂 (Yīnyuè)
- 음악
- Nap
- 午睡 (Wǔshuì)
- 낮잠
- Play
- 玩 (Wán)
- 놀다
- Pray
- 做祷告 / 做禱告 (Zuò dǎogào)
- 기도하다
- Read
- 看书 / 看書 (Kànshū)
- 책을 읽다
- Rest
- 休息 (Xiūxí)
- 쉬다
- School
- 学校 / 學校 (Xuéxiào)
- 학교
- Screentime
- 螢幕时间 / 螢幕時間 (Yíngmù shíjiān)
- 하면 시간
- Shower
- 洗澡 (Xǐzǎo)
- 목욕
- Sleep
- 睡觉 / 睡覺 (Shuìjiào)
- 자다
- Snack
- 吃点心 / 吃點心 (Chī diǎnxīn)
- 간 식
- Use Bathroom
- 上厕所 / 上廁所 (Shàng cèsuǒ)
- 화장실
- Wear pajamas
- 穿睡衣 (Chuān shuìyī)
- 잠옷을 입다
Setting up the Kids’ Visual Daily Routine Chart!
We currently have a large wall-sized daily routine chart in my 3-year-old son’s bedroom.
In addition, we have small, portable daily routine charts for both my 3-year-old and 6-year-old kids.
Here’s how to set up visual daily routine charts!
- Choose color versus black-and-white and desired language
- Download the free printables from the Printables Library for Subscribers (under the Calendar section)
- Wall-sized visual daily routine chart:
- Print full pages for wall-sized visual routine chart onto card stock
- Consider laminating for durability with laminating pouches and laminator
- Cut and affix to wall with removable poster putty
- Use a picture of your child’s face or something he or she loves (eg, fire truck for my son) to keep track of where you are in the day
- Portable visual daily routine cart:
- Print 4 per page for portable visual routine chart onto card stock
- Cut printable and 4 pieces of cardboard (morning, midday, afternoon, evening)
- Consider laminating for durability with laminating pouches and laminator
- Affix routine cards to cardboard with painter’s tape or mini Velcro dots
- Use a clothespin, dot sticker, or a picture of your child’s face to keep track of completed tasks!
Learning activities for every topic!
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Do you have a visual daily routine chart for your child?
I’d love to know if these printables were helpful or if you were able to make a personalized routine chart with photos of your child!
Please leave a note in the comments or email me a photo at betty(at)chalkacademy(dot)com!
More resources for raising multilingual kids
- Work-At-Home Bilingual Homeschool Schedule with 2 Kids (Printable)
- 10 Survival Tips for Work-At-Home Homeschooling Families
- Websites and Apps with FREE Multilingual books for Kids
- Raising Multilingual Children as a Non-Fluent Parent: 7 Lessons Learned
- Teaching Minority Languages to Kids: A New Approach Can Help
Peggy says
My goodness!!! I was trying to find a visual daily routine schedule all week and couldn’t really find one that is well thought out, free, good-looking, and black-and-white! I was going to make one myself and can’t believe when I checked my email today and saw your new post!!! Thanks for all the ideas, Betty 🙂
Betty Choi says
Hi Peggy! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this kind message! I’m so happy to hear that the daily routine printables can help!! 😀
shin young says
Thanks for all the ideas!!! thanks thanks!!!
Betty says
You’re welcome!
Adriana Serrano Guemez says
Hi! I’m trying to download the printable but haven’t been able to…it says I need a password… I subscribed as requested 🙂
JM says
Hi. I cant seem to download the printables as it says the file cannot be found. Has the item been taken down? Thanks!
Betty says
Hi! Thank you for asking and sorry for the inconvenience! I was actually just updating the files tonight with extra icons 🙂 The pdf files are now ready in the Printables Library.
Louise says
I’m new to your blog. Your article about teaching a target language in 5 steps actually made me tear up. My husband and I speak English together but we’re both fluent in another language –making a total of 3 languages. Our children are 4 and 6. This is so close to my heart but I haven’t felt very successful namely because we haven’t committed to the minority languages. This is re-inspiring me. Thank you.
Linda says
Hello! I wanted to make some additional tasks but I can’t seem to figure out what font you used. What font did you use? We have “gym” as part of our routine.
Betty says
Hi Linda! Thanks for asking. I used D’nealian font for the English version, KaiTi SC for the simplified Chinese version, and Kaiti TC for the traditional Chinese version. I actually recently added exercise（运动 / 運動）and some other tasks, just didn’t get a chance to add new photos. Please let me know if I can help with anything else!