Visual schedules for kids: magnetic routine charts, timers and apps

What makes a good visual schedule for a child?

A good visual schedule shows the day in pictures your child understands, has pieces they can move themselves, and lives where they will see it. These are the things to compare.

• Pictures your child recognises. Printed symbols, cartoon tiles or photos of your own things. The LIKARTO board uses 126 illustrated magnets and 18 blanks; a homemade board can use photos of your actual bath, car and school gate.
• Number of pieces. 89 magnets on the Melissa & Doug chart, 147 on the LIKARTO board, up to six steps on the Fledglings bedtime timer. More pieces cover more of life, and take longer to find.
• Who moves them. Look for tiles or magnets big enough for your child to move on their own. A schedule your child runs is different from one that is run at them.
• Where it lives. A magnetic board can go on the fridge or the wall. The Melissa & Doug chart hangs from a cord. Eye level for your child, not for you.
• Age marking. Melissa & Doug and Fledglings mark their products 3+. Small magnetic pieces and toddlers need care; see the safety notes below.
• Time as well as order. A schedule shows what comes next. A visual timer shows how long is left. Many families use both.

Visual schedules and timers compared

Why do families use visual schedules?

Families use them so a child can see what is happening and what comes next without having to ask or be told. The National Autistic Society says autistic people and some professional sources suggest supporting a routine that gives structure, preparing ahead and counting down to changes, and using visual prompts. The NHS, in its advice on living with ADHD, suggests writing a to-do list and putting it somewhere easy to see, and making a reward chart.

That is the information. What a schedule does in practice is simpler: it puts the plan outside everyone's head. A child can check it at any time, a parent does not have to repeat it, and a change of plan can be shown by moving a tile rather than announced out of nowhere.

Now and next, or the whole day?

Start with the smallest version your child will use. A two-space "now and next" board is the simplest: what is happening, then what comes after. Once that works, a morning or bedtime sequence of four to six steps is the next step up, and a full-day board after that.

• Bedtime only. The Fledglings timer covers up to six bedtime steps and shows the time running down as the moon changes phase.
• Mornings and after school. A magnetic board with only the pictures you need today on show and the rest put away.
• Chores and independence. The Melissa & Doug chart, used with the routine magnets. It includes behaviour and reward magnets; whether you use those is your call.
• The whole day on one board. The LIKARTO board, 42 x 32cm with 126 picture magnets and 18 blanks, has room for a full day and the blanks take your own words.
• Younger children, on a tablet. Choiceworks builds picture schedules and waiting boards on an iPhone or iPad from your own photos and voice, rated 4+.
• Older children and teenagers. Tiimo puts the plan on a phone in colours and icons, which can feel less babyish than a fridge board. It is rated 9+.

Do you need a timer as well?

Add a timer if transitions are the hard part. A schedule answers "what next"; a timer answers "how long until". The Time Timer is silent while it runs and its end alert can be switched off, which suits children who dislike beeps. The Learning Resources Time Tracker Mini adds a yellow warning stage before red, so there is a visible "nearly time" before the change. Our visual timers guide goes into more detail.

Things to know

• Magnets and small children. GOV.UK product recalls warn that if two or more magnets are swallowed, they can be drawn to each other inside the digestive system, and that small, high-powered magnets can be easily swallowed. Fridge-board tiles are not the same as magnet toy sets, but count the pieces, keep spares in the wallet, and supervise children under three.
• Listing claims. Some sellers make claims about stress or learning outcomes. We have not repeated them, and we describe only what each product is and does.
• We have not tested these. Details come from maker and retailer pages on 11 September 2026. The Melissa & Doug details are from its US site.
• Dignity. A schedule is a tool for your child, not a record of them. Let them choose tile order where they can, and skip the pieces labelled for behaviour if they would feel watched.
• Free is fine. A sheet of paper, a pen and photos of your own house make a perfectly good schedule. Buy a board when you know the format works.