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Leaving a Fun Place

A simple visual guide for when it's time to stop playing and move on.

Roo Bloom · Everyday Challenges Collection · boy illustrations

How to use these pages

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.

Now → Next board

Cut out the place cards below and put one in each square.

Now

Next

The four steps

Tick each box off, or move a peg along, as you go.

  1. Step 1A hand showing five fingers5 minutes
  2. Step 2A hand showing one fingerOne last thing
  3. Step 3A green tickFinished
  4. Step 4A waving handGoodbye
  5. Step 5A carNext

One last thing

One clearly bounded activity, chosen together, and then it is over. Not another few minutes.

  • One last game
  • One last turn
  • One last slide
  • One last toy
  • One last lap
  • One last story
  • My grown-up chooses
ONE LAST THINGFINISHED

The cards

Cut these out along the dashed lines.

  • 5 minutes
  • 2 minutes
  • One last thing
  • Finished
  • Get ready
  • Goodbye
  • Go
  • Next activity

Place cards

For the Now → Next board. Cut out the ones you use.

  • Friend's house
  • Playground
  • Park
  • Birthday party
  • Play centre
  • Grandparents
  • Home
  • Car
  • School
  • Shops
  • Eating
  • Bath
  • Bed
  • Another activity
  • Something else

Visual schedule

Cut these out and put them up in order.

  1. 1A hand showing five fingers5 minutes
  2. 2A hand showing two fingers2 minutes
  3. 3A hand showing one fingerOne last thing
  4. 4A green tickFinished
  5. 5A pair of shoesGet ready
  6. 6A waving handGoodbye
  7. 7A carGo
  8. 8A ball for the next activityNext activity

Social story

  1. 1Having fun
    A boy playing with a friend beside a box of toys

    I am having fun.

  2. 2Soon it is time
    A grown-up showing a boy five fingers for five minutes

    Soon it will be time to go.

  3. 3One last thing
    A boy holding up one finger, with a ball and a book to choose from

    I can choose one last thing.

  4. 4Finished
    A boy beside a toy box, with a tick showing the last thing is finished

    My last thing is finished.

  5. 5Goodbye
    A boy waving goodbye to a friend by the door

    I can say goodbye.

  6. 6The next place
    A boy holding a grown-up's hand, walking to the car

    Now we go to the next place.

  7. 7I did it
    A boy arriving at the next place, with a tick

    I did it.

First – Then boards

Cut along the middle if you want to use one pair at a time.

  • FirstOne last thing
    ThenGoodbye
  • FirstGoodbye
    ThenCar
  • FirstCar
    ThenHome

Every child responds differently — use, skip or adapt any page. These are educational materials, not therapy or medical advice.

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