Quick answer
The toddler years bring the last baby vaccinations at 12, 15 and 18 months, the move from infant care to childcare at 18 months, and the first real routines. Check-ups at 18 months and 30 months are good moments to raise anything you have noticed. MOE Kindergarten registration for K1 runs each March of the year before your child starts.
The useful number: Infant care ends at 18 months: if your centre has no childcare class, line up the next place early.
What matters most with a toddler?
Toddlers want to do things themselves, and days go better when they know what comes next. A predictable morning and bedtime, a care arrangement that keeps going past 18 months, and the last baby vaccinations are the practical jobs. Development varies a lot at this age, so compare your child only with your child.
Which decisions and deadlines are ahead?
- 12, 15 and 18 months: MMR and chickenpox doses, then the 5-in-1 booster (DTaP, IPV and Hib). The tracker dates them.
- 18 months: infant care ends and childcare begins. If your centre offers only infant care, line up the childcare place in good time.
- 18 and 30 months: developmental check-ups listed in the Child Health Booklet. Bring the booklet and your notes, and discuss them with your doctor.
- Routines: agree one morning and one bedtime routine across every carer, and put it on the wall.
- MOE Kindergarten: K1 registration runs in March of the year before intake. In 2026 it ran from 23 to 31 March 2026 for children born 2 January 2022 to 1 January 2023.
Which tools and downloads help?
- Visual routine builder: a morning or bedtime chart in pictures or words, ready for A4.
- SG vaccination schedule tracker: the 12, 15 and 18 month visits dated.
- Milestone checker and Growth percentile calculator: notes for the check-up, never a score. The growth chart runs from birth to 5 years.
- Preschool comparison workbook and Preschool waitlist timeline planner: the move into childcare.
- What can we do today?: outings and at-home ideas that fit your toddler’s age and energy.
Print the Morning routine chart and the Bedtime routine chart, share the Caregiver handover sheet with grandparents or a helper, and try the Feelings check-in chart for big feelings.
What should you check elsewhere?
Routines help organise the day; they are not a cure for every hard evening. Development, speech, sleep and growth questions are for your doctor, who sees the whole child. Each centre runs its own admissions, and MOE confirms each year’s kindergarten dates.
Printables for this guide
Morning routine chart
A picture chart of the school morning in eight steps, from waking up to shoes on. Rest time is built in: 6:30am start, out by 7:25am.
Bedtime routine chart
A picture chart for bedtime in six steps, from tidying up to a story and a chat about the day. 7:30pm start, lights out by 8:30pm.
Caregiver handover sheet
A daily sheet for parents, grandparents, helpers and centres: meals, sleep, mood, medicine and what comes next. Plus an About Our Child page for new carers.
Feelings check-in chart
Eight faces with feeling words, six calm-down choices, and a week of after-school and bedtime check-ins. No scores and no wrong answers.
Potty training plan
Readiness signs from Families for Life (no scores), a step-by-step plan, a sticker chart, and notes for the preschool and helper.
Start with your own details
Each tool works from your own dates and numbers, and child details stay on your phone.
Build a routine chart →Frequently asked questions
When does my toddler move from infant care to childcare?
At 18 months. If your centre runs only infant care, arrange the childcare place early.
Which vaccinations are due in the toddler years?
MMR and chickenpox at 12 and 15 months, the pneumococcal booster at 12 months, and the 5-in-1 booster (DTaP, IPV and Hib) at 18 months. Try the SG vaccination schedule tracker.
When is MOE Kindergarten registration?
In March of the year before K1. In 2026 it ran from 23 to 31 March 2026 for children born 2 January 2022 to 1 January 2023.
How do I make bedtime easier?
Keep the same steps in the same order every night and show them as pictures. Try the visual routine builder and print the chart.
Keep this guide for the next big decision.
Build your own reading list and pick up where you left off with a free RaisingAngels account.
Free account · Tools stay free without an account.