How to Set Up a Now and Next Board at Home: 7 Everyday Examples

If you already understand the idea of a Now and Next board but are wondering what to put on it in real life, this guide is for that.

If you are new to the tool, start with What Is a Now and Next Board?. The short version is simple: NOW shows the current step; NEXT shows the one that follows.

A quick home setup

You need two clear spaces labelled NOW and NEXT, plus words, photos or symbols your child can recognise. Keep the board where the transition actually happens rather than storing it somewhere adults have to remember to fetch.

Start with one difficult moment. Do not turn the whole day into a visual project on day one.

1. Leaving the house

NOW: Shoes on
NEXT: Get in the car

This is more concrete than “come on, we’re late”. If several steps are still missing, use a visual timetable instead of squeezing the whole routine into NEXT.

2. Stopping screen time or play

NOW: Finish game
NEXT: Dinner

Show the sequence before the stopping point where possible. The board should prepare the change, not appear only after a disagreement has already started.

3. Starting homework

NOW: Maths questions 1–5
NEXT: Movement break

Keep NOW specific. “Homework” may still be too broad if the child does not know where to begin.

4. Getting dressed

NOW: Clothes on
NEXT: Breakfast

If getting dressed contains too many steps, pair Now and Next with a separate short dressing sequence. Our morning routine guide shows how to do that.

5. Bath and bedtime

NOW: Bath
NEXT: Pyjamas

Later, the board can move forward to pyjamas → story, then story → bed. The immediate next step stays visible without showing the entire evening at once.

6. Waiting

NOW: Wait at the dentist
NEXT: Your turn

When the timing is uncertain, avoid promising an exact minute you cannot control. A visible sequence can still show what the waiting is leading towards. For more ideas, read our guide to making waiting more predictable.

7. When the plan changes

NOW: Stay home
NEXT: Grandma later

If a planned activity changes, update the visual rather than leaving the old NEXT visible. The board should reflect what is actually going to happen.

Three common mistakes

• Too much information: if NEXT contains five steps, it is no longer a two-step support.
• Vague language: “be good” or “get organised” does not show an observable action.
• Using it only as a threat: the board works better as predictable information than as “do this or you lose that”.

When a visual timetable is a better fit

If your child needs to see the full morning, after-school or bedtime sequence, use a multi-step visual timetable rather than making Now and Next carry too much information.

Useful Clarikind support

The Clarikind Transitions Made Clear System combines visual sequence support with visible timing for families who want the transition and its ending to be easier to see.

This is general practical information. Adapt visual supports to the child and seek individual professional advice where needed.