Waiting & Turn Taking Visual Supports

A calm and practical set of visual supports to help children learn waiting, turn taking, and what to do while they wait.

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Overview

Waiting and turn taking are skills that often need to be taught clearly and practised with support.

This set of visual supports helps children understand what waiting can look like, what turn taking means, what they can do while they wait, and how to feel more supported during short waits. These visuals are designed for home, school, and therapy settings, and work best when introduced during calm moments and used consistently over time.

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Who It’s For

These resources may be helpful for:

• children who struggle with waiting
• children learning to share turns
• children who need support knowing what to do while waiting
• adults teaching early participation and play skills
• parents, teachers, and therapists who want calm, visual support for these everyday challenges

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How This Can Help

These supports can help children:

• understand what waiting means
• know what may happen next
• learn what to do with their body while they wait
• understand simple turn-taking patterns
• feel more supported during short waits
• build waiting skills over time through repeated practice

The goal is not to expect long waits too quickly. The goal is to make waiting and turn taking more understandable, manageable, and successful.

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How to Start Using It

Start small.

Introduce these visuals during calm moments, not during a difficult wait.

A simple progression could be:

• begin with Waiting
• add How Long Do I Wait?
• use My Waiting Body and While I Wait, I Can
• introduce Turn Taking
• add First Wait, Then My Turn examples once the child is ready

Use short, simple phrases such as:

• “Wait.”
• “My turn, then your turn.”
• “Your turn is coming.”
• “You can wait with calm hands.”

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Prompting Support

Start with the least amount of help the child needs.

You might begin with:

• modelling what waiting looks like
• pointing to the visual
• gesturing to where the child can sit, watch, or wait
• verbal prompting using short, calm phrases
• light physical guidance only if needed

Over time, reduce prompts as the child becomes more familiar with the visuals and expectations.

The aim is not perfect waiting. The aim is helping the child understand the process and experience small successes.

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Flexible Ways to Use It

You can use these supports in different ways depending on the child and the situation:

• display one page at a time
• use the waiting pages on their own
• use the turn-taking pages during play
• use first-then example pages for motivating activities
• place the reminder page where the child often waits
• pair the visuals with a timer, visual cue, or adult reminder

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Format

These are digital downloads.
No physical product will be shipped.

You can print the pages you need, laminate them if preferred, and use them in home, school, or therapy settings.

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One Step At A Time

Waiting is a skill, and skills take practice.

Start with very short waits. Keep the expectations clear. Help the child know what they can do while they wait.

Small successes, repeated often, can build stronger waiting skills over time.

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