Play with friend

#play#friend#ball#game#together

In the middle of a fun game, your child suddenly has to wait their turn, share and read the friend's expression, and that is a lot to keep track of at once. The pictures below break the give and take into parts you can practise beforehand.

Two people play with a red and white ball outside in the sun.

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Play with friend

Two people play with a red and white ball outside in the sun.

About this visual support

Whose turn is it now, and does my friend even want to play the same thing as me? These questions keep popping up when two children play together, and they demand focus at the exact moment the child just wants to have fun. Taking turns and noticing when a friend gets tired or upset is hard in the middle of a ball game or a make-believe world, and a small misunderstanding can quickly turn into a fight.

Visual support makes the invisible rules of play visible. A picture for asking what to play, one for taking turns and one for stopping in time become something your child can return to when the play spins too fast. Talk through the pictures before the friend arrives, and let your child pick one or two things they want to get to, so they already have a plan when the door opens.

In Routined you can put together a short play plan with these steps and bring it out before a playdate, so your child knows what applies before they get going. Try the app free for fourteen days.