Give a gift
The present sits on the child's lap all the way to the party, and then it suddenly has to go to someone else. The picture below helps a child know when and how the gift is given.
♂Giving a gift
A boy holds out a red present tied with a yellow ribbon.
About this visual support
From a child's side, a present is rather confusing. They helped choose it, maybe wrapped it, carried it in a bag and guarded it, and now it has to be given away. On top of that come unwritten rules: wait until you are inside, say happy birthday, perhaps do not reveal what is in the box, then watch someone else open it. That is a lot of small social steps at once, and it is easy for things to go wrong even with the best intentions.
A visual support for giving a gift breaks the moment into an order the child can follow. Show the picture at home before you leave for the party and go through what will happen: we ring the bell, we say happy birthday, you hand over the present and then we watch them open it. Once the picture is familiar, the handover itself is calmer. A practical tip is to let the child rehearse with an empty box at home, ideally with an adult playing the birthday child.
The pictures also work for holidays, for Mother's Day and when leaving a gift for a teacher. In Routined you can set up the party day as its own routine with the present as a clear step. You can try the app for 14 days, and the visual supports here are free to download.
Use this image in a schedule
Build your own visual schedule with this image and download it as a print-ready PDF. Completely free.
More similar visual supports
Party
Two children in party hats hold hands and cheer among confetti and a gift.
Receive a gift
A woman puts a present into a gift bag.
Birthday
Hands hold a present with a cake with candles on top.
Go to a party
A person carries a gift and points towards a party with balloons, confetti, and ...
Going visiting
An adult and a child carrying a wrapped gift step through an open door.
Halloween
A carved pumpkin, a ghost, a witch hat and a bat in front of a full moon.
Special time
A boy holds up a gift in front of a large clock surrounded by stars.
5000 Steps
A blue sneaker with the number 5000 and arrows showing movement.
Take the visual supports with you
In Routined you build schedules from these pictures, add timers and voice instructions, and your child follows the day on their own.
* 14-day free trial, then $2.39 a month or $20.99 a year (US pricing). Cancel anytime.