Nap Routines for Older Children
Nap routines do not have to stay the same for all of eternity! (or until your kiddo drops their nap-same thing!) The routine you have for your toddler can absolutely evolve and change as they get older. These spiderman-jumping, ballerina-twirling, ninja-kicking, bear-crawling little stone cold weirdos may need a little bit more spice than your standard “diaper change, book, song, bed”. However! Let’s not overcomplicate things, or reinvent the wheel. We can keep things simple and true to the foundation of their original routine, but just make little tweaks to help them transition from play time to nap time.
For those who have an older toddler, you KNOW they think they’re grown. If I tried to spring something on my son when he was 3 or 4, I was sure to be met with the wrath of a thousand angry bees. Therefore, it’s very important to take some time to prep your older toddler when nap time is approaching. Try giving them a visual timer like a cool hourglass, or a toddler timer. For toddlers, “5 more minutes” can be too abstract of a concept. I used to tell Xander, “5 minute warning!”, but it never seemed to really click for him. Then I bought a little kitchen timer, and that seemed to be better, but the sound was way too jarring for him. And THEN, I found these little sandglass timers. A visual countdown that was easy to understand, that was silent, perfect for the more sensitive toddlers. *chef’s kiss.
Amazon: Sand timers, 6 pieces 30s, 1min,2min,3 min, 5 min, 10 min.
If your toddler will calmly and quickly walk to their room when it’s time for their nap, I’m truly so happy for you. Unfortunately, this can be a prime time for an older toddler to try and stall. Flop to the floor, moan, groan, or just downright ignore you when you say it’s time for their nap. I’ve BEEN there. Sometimes they just need a fun little transition from playing to getting ready to nap. After your nap time timer is finished, try to think of a fun way to get your toddler to their room, while also giving them some “control” or choices. “Do you want to walk or skip to your room?” My kid’s favorite was, “Let’s race to the room! Whoever gets there first gets to pick out the book!” If they just flat out refuse to go to their room, this does not mean you just accept defeat. I would give them one final choice of either letting them walk to their room, or I will help them by picking them up and taking them there.
Once your toddler is in their room, the nap routine can look like this:
Potty pit stop (then change into pull-up if not yet potty trained/wears a pull-up for sleep only)
Read a book (or 2, your choice, but I wouldn’t let this get out of hand LOL) Pick a number and stick with it! My strategy was that if he moved fast enough we could add a *BONUS* book!
Lights off (nightlight on if they request on), and white noise on
Cuddles and song, either in a chair in their room or after they’re in bed, whichever is more comfortable
Tell them, “See you when nap time is through!” and peace out of there!
More strategies for nap time routines for older toddlers:
If you have a toddler that reallyyy likes to stall, try adding a visual schedule of what happens during their routine. These can be pictures you drew to depict each step of the routine, or some you print out, or handy magnets that you can buy online! We like Reward'Um! Visual Schedule:
If you have a toddler that constantly wants to come out of their room, or call out to you to ask, “Is nap time over yet?!”, then you may need to check out an okay to wake clock. These clocks can change from a red toned night light, yellow light for your toddler to get up and play quietly, and then green light means nap time is over, it’s okay to leave the room!
If you are just starting out with the okay to wake clocks, it can be beneficial to try one with an app that you can control from your phone. If the clock is new to your family and your toddler wakes up before the green light, you can pause for a few minutes before manually changing the light to green in the app. This allows them to practice waiting for the light to change, without the expectation that they will wait 20 or 30 minutes before leaving their room the very first time they are using it. This is also a fantastic tool to use when transitioning from nap time to quiet time! We like the Hatch, Lectrofan kinder, or the LittleHippo Mella.
The main thing about toddler clocks is to be consistent with them. If you only follow the light rules when you feel like it, then the light won’t hold any meaning at all with your toddler. Add lots of praise and excitement when they successfully follow the “okay to wake” rules!
At the end of all this please know that if things are currently working for your family as far as your toddler’s nap time routine goes, then just stick with it! You don’t need to change something that works. I also will say that you don’t have to go out and purchase all the products, or implement every single strategy I’ve mentioned in this blog. You are allowed to pick the aspects that will serve you best, and leave the ones that don’t. We are here to help and suggest, but YOU know your child BEST!
