Free First-Then Board: Pick Two Cards, Hand Over the Phone
Pick what comes first and what comes next. Your child taps the cards, the board can read them aloud, and nothing leaves your device.
First-then board
First brushing teeth, then a book.
Tap the pink words to change them
More options
0 of 2 done
A snack, a drink and the bathroom aren't rewards. Keep them as plain steps, not something to earn.
Also handy
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Cut the two cards apart and stick them on a board.
rosyandhush.com/resources/first-then-board
Say it once, out loud: "First brushing teeth, then a book." Then be quiet and let the board do the talking. Put it up before the hard thing, not in the middle of it.
— NoraHow to use it
- Tap the pink word after “First” and pick what happens now. Then tap the word after “then” and pick what comes next. You can use your own photo for either one.
- Hand the phone or tablet to your child, or press Full screen so the board fills the whole display.
- When the first thing is done, your child taps the first card. It turns green and the second card lights up. Tapping that one ends the board.
- Want a timer on the first card? Turn it on in More options and choose how many minutes. It runs quietly. There’s no sound at the end, just the card lighting up.
- Start over puts both cards back. You can also print the board and cut the cards apart.
Why two cards
A full day of pictures is a lot to look at. Two cards are quick to read, and they answer the question your child is really asking: how long, and then what? I use the same words every time, “first shoes, then outside”, and I say them once, before the hard part starts.
If you’ve never made one, I wrote a step-by-step guide to a printable first-then board. It covers where to hang it and what to say.
What goes under “Then”
Pick something your child wants and you’re happy to give. If you pick a snack, a drink or the bathroom, the board shows a short note: those aren’t things to earn. They’re part of the day. That’s a rule I follow at home, not a number from a study.
If your child is learning to ask for things, the difference between a want, a need and a “done” card may be a good next read. Starting communication cards with a late talker goes through the first week.
Everything stays on your device
Your cards, your photo and the little checkmarks are saved in this browser only. Nothing is uploaded and there’s no sign-up. If you share the phone with a babysitter, Clear saved settings at the bottom of the page puts everything back the way it was.
The board is a tool for ordinary days. For a child who works with a speech or occupational therapist, the therapist’s plan comes first.
A few things that make it easier
You can run this board from a phone with nothing else. If you'd like one for the wall too, these are the extras I'd look at.
- a three-box Now/Next/Later picture board: it has three spaces instead of two, so it's a little more than a first-then board, but the top two boxes do the same job and it hangs by the door
- sticky-back hook-and-loop dots: a dot on the card and a dot on the board lets your child pull a card off and move it, which is half the fun
- a thermal laminator: cards you print and cut last far longer once they are laminated, and they wipe clean
Some links here are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Pictures: Phosphor Icons (MIT license).
Questions parents ask me about this
What is a first-then board?
It's two pictures side by side: what your child does first, and what they get to do next. Seeing the second picture tells them the first one has an end. You can make one from paper, or use the tool above on a phone or tablet.
How do I use the board with my child?
Say it once, out loud: first this, then that. Then let the cards do the talking. Your child taps the first card when it's done, the second one lights up, and they tap that when they get to it. Put the board up before the hard thing, not in the middle of it.
Can I use my own photos?
Yes. Pick "Your own photo" at the bottom of either list. The photo is shrunk and kept in this browser only. It is never uploaded, and you can put a word under it in More options.
Can the board read the cards out loud?
Yes, with the voice your phone or tablet already has. Tap the speaker on a card or tap the card itself. If your device has no voice, the option says so and the speaker buttons disappear.
What should I put under "Then"?
Something your child likes that you are happy to give them: a book, a bubble break, a few minutes outside. A snack, a drink or the bathroom are things everyone needs, so I keep those as plain steps and not as something to earn. The board shows a short note when you pick one.
Does it work without the internet?
Once the page has loaded, yes. Nothing on this board is sent anywhere, and your choices are saved in this browser on this device only.
Keep reading
The routines behind this tool, from the blog.
Printable First Then Board: How to Use One in Minutes
Two cards beat a full schedule on hard days. See how a printable first then board cuts meltdowns, how to build one fast, and exact words to say.
All Done PECS: 6 First-Word Cards to Cut Meltdowns
The all done PECS card is often a toddler's first word, and one of 6 first-word cards that halved our meltdowns. Print your own set free.
Communication Cards: A No-Laminator Start for Late Talkers
Skip the laminator. Start using communication cards with your late talker today with a simple home routine that cuts frustration. Try it this week.
Written by
Nora Hayes
Mom of two and a former preschool aide. I share the screen-free sensory play and calm-down ideas I test at my own kitchen table, plus what the moms in my little meet-up swear by. A parent passing on what works, not a doctor or a therapist.
More about Nora