Printable morning routine chart for kids
A morning routine chart for calmer school mornings, in two versions. Ages 3–5 get six big picture steps, from the toilet to the coat. Ages 6–9 get a checklist that starts the evening before with clothes and school bag, then runs through the morning until your child is at the door on time. Each page has a week of tick boxes.
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Download the chart
Our school-morning checklist: a picture version for ages 3–5, and the evening-before and morning steps for ages 6–9.
2 pages: ages 3–5 and 6–9
Want your own tasks on it?
Open this chart in our free chart maker: change the tasks, add your child's name and print.
Make your ownHow to use the morning routine chart
- Do the evening part the night before. A lot of morning rush comes from a missing shoe or a bag that isn't packed, which is why the 6–9 page moves those jobs to the evening.
- Tape the chart to the bedroom door or next to the bathroom mirror, low enough for your child to read, and keep a pen or stickers on a string beside it so nothing goes missing at 7 a.m.
- Walk through the steps together on a weekend morning first, when nobody is in a hurry, so the chart is familiar by Monday.
- On school mornings, let the chart give the instructions. When your child stalls, a quiet “Check your chart” works better than the fourth reminder to find shoes.
- Tick each step as it's done, and plan a few extra minutes in the first week. When the routine starts to run on its own, let the chart do the reminding.
Which page fits your child
Ages 3–5
One column of big pictures: toilet, get dressed, breakfast, brush teeth, shoes on and coat on. Six steps are enough for a preschool or kindergarten morning. Your child will still need help with buttons, zippers and shoes, so tick the step when you have done it together. At this age the chart teaches what comes next, and speed can wait.
Ages 6–9
Two parts. The evening before: clothes for tomorrow on the chair, the school bag packed and by the door, and anything to sign handed to a grown-up. In the morning: up and toilet, get dressed, make the bed, breakfast, brush teeth, wash face and brush hair, shoes, coat and bag, then ready at the door on time. Many kids this age can do most of it alone once the steps are on paper.
Questions about morning routine charts
What should be on a morning routine chart?
Only the steps your child does every school morning, in order, ending with being ready at the door. Keep it short. Six to eight steps are plenty for most kids, and jobs like packing the bag fit better the evening before.
My child is older than 9. Does the chart still help?
Older kids usually manage with a shorter list. Use the 6–9 page and cross out what your child already does without thinking, or open the chart in the free chart maker, keep only the steps that still need a reminder and add your child's name.
Should we use the chart on weekends?
That's up to you. Many families use it on school days only and keep weekends loose. If a weekend morning has an early start too, like a game or a trip, the same chart works for that.
Read the guide: Morning routine for kids: a before-school checklist that actually works
habibee.app Grown-ups: try the Habibee app. Kids earn honey for their tasks and trade it for rewards.
More printable charts
Try it with your family
Picture tasks kids can follow on their own, photo proof instead of arguments, and real rewards you pick together. For ages 3 to 12.
Coming to iPhone, iPad and Android.
