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Leaving the Playground

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. Playing at the playgroundI am playing on the swing and the slide at the playground.
  2. Mum gives me a warningMum says, “Five more minutes, then it’s time to go.”
  3. One more slideThen Mum says, “One more slide, then we go.”
  4. Time to goNow it’s time to go home.
  5. I might feel disappointedI might feel sad, cross or disappointed.
  6. Helping my bodyI can help my body get ready to leave.

    I could try… Move my body — stretch or jump · Squeeze my hands, then let go · Count slowly · Hold my calm-down thing

  7. I can say how I feelI can use words to tell Mum how I feel.

    I can say: “I wish we could stay longer.”

  8. Saying bye to the swingI can wave and say, “Bye, swing! See you next time.”
  9. Thinking about what’s nextI can think about what comes next at home.
  10. The playground will still be hereThe playground will still be here another day.
  11. It gets easierEach time I leave the playground, I get a little more practice.
  12. I am learningI am learning to leave, even when it feels hard.

I can remember

  • A warning helps me get ready.
  • My feelings are okay.
  • I can say how I feel.
  • I can think about what’s next.
  • The playground will be here another day.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That leaving somewhere fun can feel hard, that warnings and a “last go” help, and what to do with the disappointment: help the body, say it in words, say goodbye to the place and think about what comes next.

When to use it

  • On the way to the playground, before you arrive.
  • When leaving parks, pools or parties often ends in tears.
  • After a leaving that went well, to name what your child did.

For this story

  • Give a warning and a countable end: “Five more minutes, then one more slide.” A sand timer on your phone can help.
  • Name what’s next and make it concrete: a snack, the car song, the bath.
  • Near the gate or car park, hold hands. A child running off from a big feeling needs safety first, words later.

How to use it

  • Read it together on a calm day, not mid-meltdown. In the hard moment itself, fewer words help more: stay close, keep everyone safe, and save the story for later.
  • Read it again just before a tricky moment you can see coming: on the way to the park, the night before a haircut.
  • Make it fit your child: skip pages, stop when they’ve had enough, swap a detail as you read so it matches your child’s day, or read only the “I can remember” card.
  • Add your child’s first name on the story’s opening page and it appears in a line or two. The name stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.
  • Use the story’s words in real life (“No means not right now”), and model them when you hear “no” too.
  • Notice tries, not perfect calm. Big feelings are allowed; the story is about what to do with them.

Good to know

  • These stories are for everyday disappointments and changes. They never mean a child should put up with pain, fear, unsafe touch, bullying or anything that hurts — telling a trusted adult is always the right answer there.
  • Nothing here asks a child to make eye contact, hug anyone — family included — stop stimming or stop crying. Crying and moving are ways bodies cope, and headphones or a break are always allowed.
  • Where a story says a grown-up will do something — stop when a hand goes up, give a warning, keep a “later” spot — make sure it really happens, or change that page. A signal that isn’t honoured teaches a child their words don’t work.
  • The aim is understanding and choices, not a quiet or compliant child. Asking “why?”, saying no to touch and disagreeing in words are skills to welcome.
  • Visual stories help many children and not every child. Adapt, skip or change any page. This is an educational resource, not therapy or medical advice.