Time for a snack
Snack time rarely arrives when play is finished. The pictures below set out handwashing, the seat and the pause as three distinct steps, giving the interruption a visible end.
♀Eating a snack
A person holds a banana and a red apple. The person holds the peeled banana in one hand and the apple in the other.
About this visual support
The interruption is the real problem, not the snack itself. A clock shows a time, the child is mid-track with cars or a drawing that is not finished, and suddenly the body has to switch gear: stand up, walk to the sink, sit still, focus on taste. That chain is easier when the steps appear as pictures rather than three back-to-back requests.
Place the picture strip near the play, not at the table. The first step — pausing the play — happens where the child already is, and the move has a purpose. A small trick: leave the toy in place rather than in a box, so the brain does not grieve a disappearance. When the strip also shows the return after eating, the resistance drops further.
If you want to build the whole interruption — handwashing, sitting, eating, return — as a recurring routine with a timer, the Routined app handles that. The picture library here is free to download and print whenever a sheet on the fridge fits the day better.