Pack the suitcase
How many socks do you need for five days? To a child a suitcase is a big empty box and an even bigger question. The pictures below break packing into small steps you can tick off.
♂Packing the suitcase
A boy kneels and puts clothes into an open suitcase.
♀Packing clothes for a trip
A girl kneels and packs a shirt and a pair of socks into a red suitcase.
About this visual support
Packing is really thinking ahead. You have to imagine days that have not happened yet, weather you cannot see and activities that only exist in the plans. That is an abstract task, which is why an adult often packs everything while the child stands beside them, or the child packs five soft toys and no underwear. Both versions miss the chance to let the child take real part.
Visual support makes packing concrete. Lay out a picture on the floor for each category, for example tops, trousers, underwear, pyjamas, wash bag and something to sleep with, and let the child put the right things by each card. When a pile is done it goes into the case and the card is turned over. A tip that works well is to count on your fingers together: one top per day plus one spare. Then the number becomes something the child can see and check alone, instead of a figure only the adult knows.
The same picture list works when you pack to go home again, so nothing is left behind. In Routined you can save the packing list as a routine with pictures and reuse it before every trip. 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.
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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.