Pick a card that fits the child's interest today. Read its short invitation, then wait. A blank page and a comfortable place are enough; you can also tell a story with no materials. Keep a familiar adult present to support the child's chosen way of communicating and any actual materials or screen use.
The quick version
- Offer one idea. “Something tiny has arrived. Where could it stay?”
- Follow one choice. The child might make a doorway, name a resting spot, direct your drawing, choose another idea or finish.
- Use it in play. Become an imaginary visitor, follow their route or ask what their message means. Take their lead.
- Keep, change or stop. Ten minutes is a loose option, never a timer.
The card's one-sentence opening is enough. Longer prompts are optional; you do not have to ask every question. The child's familiar communication supports, including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), stay available. Here, no materials means no additional play materials.
For a nonverbal no-print entry, offer one clearly named idea at a time using the child's established yes/no or selection signal. Wait, then confirm a clear choice. An unclear or absent reply is not agreement; offer another entry, pause or finish. Do not invent a new sign system for this activity.
You do not have to finish a card, teach every listed intention, record a result or catch up after missing a day. Repeating a favourite is a useful option. If an earlier drawing is gone, every card offers a fresh start.
A gentle sequence, if you want one
During a first week, try a place, a visitor, a route, a message and a small fictional problem. During another week, try grouping, a change, a guide, another form and a repeat choice. Swap the order, linger on a favourite or follow a new interest. These are ten reusable starts, not an attendance plan.
An interesting place can be a bus shelter, pretend library, imaginary garden, space room, workshop, quiet music room or something only this child has thought of. A practical outcome is immediate: a place to use in a story, a message with a meaning, a route to trace or a guide for a willing play partner.
Your help counts as your help
Ask before adding a mark or changing the child's creation. If they direct you to draw, their decision and meaning matter; your pencil work remains yours. If you tell the whole story, leave room for a small genuine choice instead of treating your story as their achievement.
An imagined test is a story. A real trace of a drawn route is an actual pretend-play action. A plan that has not been tried stays a plan. None of these proves a real-world repair, access improvement or another person's experience. Enjoy the story without turning it into an evidence exercise.
Keep the setup ordinary
Use broad flat-page drawings or familiar communication. No small loose objects, cutting, food, tied cords, tools, raised structures or obstacle course are needed. Choose any existing materials only if suitable for this individual child and setting. The no-material route is complete.
The optional screen helper works locally without an outside connection. An adult opens it, supports use and chooses whether screen play is useful today. It has no audio, flashing animation, saved child input, recording, account or completion reward. Printing is optional; the supplied PDFs are untagged, with complete linear alternatives.
Use the child's familiar home language when a competent speaker is available. Their existing signs or AAC remain available. The pack has no certified translations, and it invents no First Nations language, story, symbol or community practice. Invite community-authorised material through its own permission and context, rather than treating an invented scene as that material.
There is no home paperwork. Educators who want an occasional note can use noticing and next moves.