Printable First/Then Board
When a young child is on the edge of a meltdown, a whole-day visual schedule is too much information. A First/Then board narrows the world to one step: first the expectation, then something the child wants. "First tidy-up, Then bubbles." This printable gives you one large board to draw or write on (laminate it for the room) and a strip of pocket-sized First/Then cards to cut out for transitions, the carpet, or the playground. Keep the "Then" genuinely motivating — a First/Then board only works when the second box is something the child actually wants.
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How to Use This Template
- Print on heavy cardstock; laminate the large board for repeated use with a dry-wipe pen or velcro pictures.
- In the 'First' box, draw or write the expectation — the thing you need the child to do (tidy up, wash hands, sit for one story).
- In the 'Then' box, draw or write what comes next — something the child genuinely wants (bubbles, the sand table, a favourite song).
- Show the board at the child's eye level and say it simply: 'First tidy-up, then bubbles.' Point to each box as you say it.
- When the first step is done, move straight to the 'Then' — deliver it immediately so the link stays clear.
- Cut out the pocket cards for transitions away from the table — carry them on a lanyard or in an apron pocket.
Clinical Best Practices & Tips
- Keep 'Then' motivating, not neutral: The board works because the second box is something the child wants. If 'Then' is just the next demand, it stops working.
- Deliver immediately: The gap between finishing 'First' and getting 'Then' should be seconds, not minutes, for the youngest children.
- One step, not a schedule: Resist adding a third box. If a child can handle a longer sequence, move them up to the full visual schedule template instead.
Template Preview
Sized for Letter paper. Margins and layouts are automatically calibrated for print.