How to Start a Quiet Time Routine & What Activities to Include

Pinch of Play
Aug 15, 2024
4 min read

Is your little one ditching their nap? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Studies show children usually drop their nap between the age of 3 and 4, but this can vary greatly from kid to kid. This guide will be geared toward beginning a Quiet Time Routine with your 3 year old, but can be adapted for ages 2-5.

In this post, we'll cover the following:

(Click a section to jump to it)

What is Quiet Time?
How long is Quiet Time?
Where is quiet time?
How do I start?
What activities do I offer?
How do I continue the routine?

1. What is Quiet Time?

Quiet Time is a time of the day where your child plays independently and calmly, in place of their nap. It is a time for rest and reset, for both you and your kiddo! Quiet Time helps your child with creative skills, self regulation, and independent play skills.

2. How long is Quiet Time?

This will depend on each family and how long your child is able to play independently. We do quiet time for 1 hour. We worked up to this time and started at only 10 minutes! A visual timer is really helpful for our kiddos to see how long they have left.

3. Where is quiet time?

This will depend on each family and your child. In the beginning, our child did quiet time only on the bed in the room just off our kitchen so I could hear him. Now, quiet time is done in his room on his own. We worked up to this independence, but your child may be ready for that right off the bat! We found that having the rule of staying on the bed, with the quiet time basket of toys worked best at first. The boundary was really clear and easy, he knew he only got up to go potty (which was rare because we always went before starting the timer).

4. How do I start a quiet time routine?

You'll need a bin or basket, a timer, and activities.

We like bins like these that fit nicely on our shelves, or clear bins with a lid like these.

First, you can have a conversation with your child so they know nap time will look different today. This could sound something like this:

"I've noticed you've been having a harder time getting to sleep during nap time. As we get older, we may not always need a nap, but our bodies and brains do still need some rest or peaceful time during the day. Today, if you are listening to your body and don't feel tired enough to nap, we can try something called Quiet Time instead. Quiet time is when you play with special quiet or calming toys, by yourself, to take a break during the day."

Next, you can let your child know when quiet time will be happening and for how long.

"Quiet time will be right after lunch, and today will last for 10 minutes. As we have more practice we will be able to do quiet time for longer."

When Quiet Time comes, set your child up for success. We like to include one or two new or not often taken out toys to get them excited to play. Show them the visual timer and how it works, and have them use the restroom before quiet time starts. We find when the play is not interrupted quiet time seems to go a lot better! We play calming music on our child's sound machine during quiet time, and tell them quiet time will be all done when the timer is done.

"Here is our basket of quiet time toys! I'll tell you what each of them is so you know you can play all on your own. During quiet time we are going to stay here (on the bed, on this carpet, in your room, etc.), until the timer is all done."

5. What activities do I offer?

We currently rotate through 3 quiet bins, and switch out the toys every couple of weeks. We have had as many as 5 bins rotating, it is all based on your preference and for us is usually based on storage!

Here are our TOP 10 favorite quiet time toys. We don't ever offer more than 6 toys or activities at a time, but you can experiment and see how your child does best - sometimes less is more! Just so you know, we may receive a commission from some purchases.

Books - we like to include high-interest, interactive books for quiet time. Click on a book for a link and more info. We also like to include a stuffed animal so our kiddo can read with it!

2. Reusable Sticker Pad - We love this Melissa and Doug reusable sticker book. We sometimes separate the pages and stickers to split the scenes among different quiet bins.

3. No-Mess Coloring - We haven't ever had issues with this no mess marker, but do your own test before using!

4. Tangram Magnetic Puzzle Book

5. Legos - creativity, fine motor skills, and critical thinking!

6. Lacing Toys

7. Puzzle - we like inlay puzzles when quiet time is on a plush carpet or bed!

8. Fine Motor Garden

9. Design and Drill Toy - This is one of our all time favorite toys!

10. Magnetic Wooden Dress Up Play

6. How do I continue the routine?

Each time your child is successful in quiet time, add on 5 minutes of time, until you work up to your desired time. We found that in the beginning with all the excitement our child was often asking to stay in quiet time for longer! If your child struggles with leaving quiet time, getting distracted, etc. at a certain amount of time, practice for that long the next day or bump it back down 5 minutes until they feel more confident!

Switch out the quiet time toys as often as you find necessary. We rotate through a few bins and then switch out some of the toys in the bins periodically (about every 2 weeks).