A fair carpool rotation, worked out for you
Add the families and the days each can’t drive. The rotation evens out the drives, works around the gaps, and prints for every family.
Carpool rotation
kidpickup.com/tools/carpool-rotation-generatorWeek 1
| Day | Drop-off | Pick-up |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | The Parkers | The Singhs |
| Tue | The Nguyens | The Okafors |
| Wed | The Okafors | The Nguyens |
| Thu | The Singhs | The Parkers |
| Fri | The Parkers | The Singhs |
Week 2
| Day | Drop-off | Pick-up |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | The Nguyens | The Okafors |
| Tue | The Okafors | The Nguyens |
| Wed | The Singhs | The Parkers |
| Thu | The Parkers | The Singhs |
| Fri | The Nguyens | The Okafors |
Week 3
| Day | Drop-off | Pick-up |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | The Okafors | The Nguyens |
| Tue | The Singhs | The Parkers |
| Wed | The Parkers | The Singhs |
| Thu | The Nguyens | The Okafors |
| Fri | The Okafors | The Nguyens |
Week 4
| Day | Drop-off | Pick-up |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | The Singhs | The Parkers |
| Tue | The Parkers | The Singhs |
| Wed | The Nguyens | The Okafors |
| Thu | The Okafors | The Nguyens |
| Fri | The Singhs | The Parkers |
Drives each: The Parkers 10 · The Singhs 10 · The Nguyens 10 · The Okafors 10
Swap with another family, never just drop a day. Whoever swaps tells the group.
How to use it
- Add each family, and tick the days they can never drive.
- Choose the carpool days, whether it’s drop-off, pick-up or both, and how many weeks.
- Check the drive counts at the bottom: everyone should be within one of each other.
- Print it, or download it and open it in Google Sheets to share with the group.
Fair here means the same number of drives each, counted as trips, not days. A long Friday run to practice is more than a five-minute school pickup, so agree in the group if some drives should count double.
Questions parents ask
How do you make a fair carpool schedule?
Count drives rather than days, so every family does the same number of trips. Work around the days each family can never drive, avoid giving one family both halves of the same day, and rotate so nobody gets the same day every week. This generator does all three.
What if a family can’t drive on certain days?
Tick those days and the rotation never gives them a drive then. They make it up on other days, so the totals still even out.
Can I put the carpool schedule in Google Sheets?
Yes. Download it, then in Google Sheets choose File, then Import, then Upload. Share the sheet with the other families.
Is it free, and is anything saved?
It’s free with no sign-up, and nothing is saved or sent. The rotation is worked out in your browser.
A sheet can’t tell you nobody has Thursday.
Kid Pickup gives every pickup one person who said “I’ll do it”, and sends a nudge when one still has nobody. Your sitter and grandparents never pay.
Worth reading: How to set up a carpool schedule (with a free template)
Worth reading: Kid Pickup for families with a full activity schedule
More free tools: Babysitter information sheet · School pickup authorization letter · Weekly “who’s got the kids” schedule · Default parent quiz · Home-alone age by state and province · all tools