A free printable Now and Next board for Christmas

A Now and Next board is one of the simplest visual supports you can put on a table, and it is often the one families actually keep using on Christmas Day. Instead of showing the whole day at once, it shows just two things: what is happening now, and what comes after. That is usually plenty when the house is already full.

If you have been searching for a free printable Now and Next board for Christmas, you can print ours tonight in A4 or US Letter. It has a clear Now box, a Next box, and an “All done” space for finished cards. Below is how to set it up, and how to use it on the day without turning it into another job.

Why two steps are often enough

A full visual schedule is wonderful when you have time to look at the whole day. On Christmas morning, many children — and many parents — do better with a smaller window. Now: breakfast. Next: presents. Then, when breakfast is finished, the cards swap. Now: presents. Next: quiet play.

Showing only two things at a time can make transitions easier to picture. Your child can see that the current thing will end, and that something known is coming after it. You are not asking them to hold a twelve-step day in their head while someone is already rustling wrapping paper.

How to set the board up at home

Print the page. If you can, laminate it or slip it into a sturdy punch-pocket, so you can reuse it all through the holidays. A small sticky dot, blu tack, or a coin of Velcro in each box lets you swap picture cards without reprinting.

You can stick on a picture card, draw in the box, or write a single word. Use the words your child already uses. If they like photos of the real objects — their plate, their coat, the sofa — those often work even better than icons. Keep a little stack of cards in an envelope or on a keyring nearby, so you are not hunting for a pen when the next step arrives.

The “All done” space matters more than it looks. When a step is finished, the card moves there. It is a clear, physical way to say the thing has ended, which is often the hard part.

Ways to use it on Christmas Day

You do not need a perfect plan. You need the next two steps, honestly. Some patterns that work well:

• The morning start. Now: breakfast. Next: presents. This gives eating a beginning and an end, and it shows that presents are coming without emptying them all over the table at 7am unless that is actually your plan.
• After the wrapping paper. Now: quiet play or a calm corner. Next: a walk, a film, or helping in the kitchen. A short recovery step after presents is one of the kindest things you can put on the board.
• When people arrive. Now: say hello in the hall. Next: your quiet space, or a familiar game. Visitors are easier to meet when the “what happens after hello” is already visible.
• Towards the meal. Now: wash hands or get seated. Next: dinner. If crackers or singing are part of your table, give them their own turn on the board so they are not a sudden noise.
• The end of the day. Now: pyjamas. Next: story and bed. A familiar close helps the day feel finished, even if the middle was busy.

If you have Christmas picture cards, you can swap them onto the board all day: tree, presents, quiet time, ear defenders, visitors, finished. The free board works with drawings and handwriting too, so you do not need a full card set to start.

A few practical habits that help the board stick

Show the board before you start the first step, not in the middle of a rush. Point to Now, then to Next. Use a short sentence. Then give the step a chance to happen. If your child wants to look ahead, you can fan out the next few cards and put them back. The board itself stays at two.

When the plan changes, change the card. You do not have to invent a long explanation. Take the old Next card off, put the new one on, and say “Change of plan. Next is quiet play.” The picture carries most of the message.

And if the board is ignored for an hour, that is all right. Leave it out. Many children start using it on the second or third try, once it has simply been part of the furniture.

When you want more than two steps

If your child likes seeing the whole day, a full Christmas Day visual schedule sits happily beside a Now and Next board. The schedule is the map. The board is the street you are on. Our Christmas Day visual schedule includes both, plus a Christmas Eve page, a blank day, and change-of-plan cards. The free board is the same Now and Next layout that appears in that pack, so nothing is wasted if you start with the free download and add the full day later.

This article is practical planning advice for families. It is not medical, diagnostic or therapy advice. Adapt any idea with your child’s teacher or therapist if you have one.