Leaving a Fun Place
A simple visual guide for when it's time to stop playing and move on.
- Autistic children
- Children with ADHD
- Children with speech delay
- Any child who finds leaving somewhere fun hard
Use now
For when you are leaving somewhere at this moment. Nothing is saved — each transition starts fresh.
Leaving somewhere right now?
One step at a time, from the warning to the goodbye to where you are going next.
Prepare beforehand
Read through it together when nobody is in a hurry, so the words are already familiar the next time you need them.
Show what is happening now and what comes straight afterwards. Pick the pair that fits the moment.
Choose an example
First
One last thing
Then
Goodbye
The whole routine in order. Print this page to cut the cards out and put them up where your child can see them.
- 1
5 minutes
- 2
2 minutes
- 3
One last thing
- 4
Finished
- 5
Get ready
- 6
Goodbye
- 7
Go
- 8
Next activity
How to use this
- Before leaving
- Show where you are now and where you are going next.
- Give a warning
- Show the 5-minute card.
- Create a clear ending
- When the warning ends, let your child choose one last clearly bounded activity.
- Finish
- Show the Finished card.
- Say goodbye
- Wave, say bye or high-five — whichever your child prefers.
- Move to next
- Show the next destination and start moving towards it.
Try not to restart the countdown after “One Last Thing”. The goal is to make the ending predictable.