K.S.
Hi R.,
I'll tell you what worked for me, and hopefully something in there can help you!
I tried having a more scheduled day- wake up this time, do this from 10-11, eat at this time, etc. I ended up feeling frustrated or like I "failed" my list because it's hard to stick to that- just with kids getting sick, having appointments, weather, moods (theirs and mine!).
I realized that schedule didn't equal structure, which was what I really wanted/needed. So what I did instead was having more of a to do list.
I would come up with the things I thought were important in the day- reading time, craft time, toy time, quiet time, outdoor time, coloring/writing, even chore time (and whatever else you do).
I wrote those things on separate, small pieces of paper (I also let the kids help "decorate" them so they had some ownership in them). I also made sure there were pictures of the categories for the little ones before they could read. We had a box marked to do, and a box marked done (you could be so creative with your packaging, I was SO not). So they knew at the beginning of the day we would start in and they knew what to expect of the day. They would pick something out, then once it was done put it in the done box and move on.
If you want a more consistent day, you could put them in a certain order (maybe number them from 1-10 or whatever so the kids know what order they should be done in). I let my kids pick the order, and found that they actually came up with their own preferences for how they liked to structure their day. I felt like at preschool age we needed structure and a predictable day, but would gradually work into a more scheduled/ordered day. But you know your kids best and know what they need and would respond best to.
Hope that helps. It ended up making me feel like I accomplished something in the day, and also prepared the kids for expectations and routine in preschool and beyond. Good luck!