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A child and an adult close a packed picnic basket at home.

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A child and an adult close a packed picnic basket at home.

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Paid

4-picture wordless story · everyday routine

Picnic Prep

Pack a basket, find a spot, share a picnic, and leave the park tidy.

7 languages4 scenesPDF + ZIPA4 / US Letter
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Compare optionsDigital download. No physical product will be shipped.One household or one professional

What’s included

One purchase includes all seven languages. Choose the file language independently of the website.

picnic-prep-story-pack_en_v1.2.0.zipEverything in one ZIP
  • Complete story and activity packA4_en_story-pack.pdf · A4 · 19 pages
  • Black-and-white picture cardsA4_en_black-white-cards.pdf · A4 · 7 pages
  • Complete story and activity packUS-Letter_en_story-pack.pdf · US Letter · 19 pages
  • Black-and-white picture cardsUS-Letter_en_black-white-cards.pdf · US Letter · 7 pages
  • Screen storyScreen_en_story-pack.pdf · Screen · 6 pages

Inside the story pages

  • Start here and adult guide: choosing pages, printing and running the activity
  • Wordless story: 4 full-page pictures
  • Short-text story: one short sentence for each of the 4 scenes
  • 4 color picture cards with cut lines, no numbers on the front
  • Conversation prompts written for this story
  • One possible story order: an adult reference, not a score sheet
  • Low-ink activity mats for retelling, before and after, and new endings
  • Home practice page you may share with the families you support
  • Credits and license

What happens in the story

A child and an adult pack a picnic basket at home, carry it with a rolled blanket to the park, open it up and share the picnic, and then pack everything away. Four pictures, one easy-to-follow routine.

Routine stories are a comfortable entry point to sequencing: children already know that you pack the basket before you eat and tidy up after. That prior knowledge lets them explain why an order makes sense.

Who it's for

  • Preschool and kindergarten teachers planning a picnic, summer, food or outdoor theme.
  • Speech-language pathologists working on 4-step sequencing, temporal concepts or describing actions.
  • Parents preparing a child for a real picnic or outing.
  • English language learners, who can build everyday vocabulary around a routine they recognise.

Skills you can practise

  • Sequencing a familiar routine in four steps.
  • Before and after: "We pack the basket before we go. We tidy up after we eat."
  • Action words: pack, carry, open, share, tidy.
  • Describing: what is in the basket, who is there, where they go.
  • Retelling with first, next, then, last.

A 10-minute session

  1. Look at the four pictures together. Name a few things you see: basket, blanket, cups.
  2. Lay out the first and last pictures (packing at home and packing away) and ask what happens in between.
  3. Add the middle cards one at a time. Offer two choices: "Do they eat first or carry the basket first?"
  4. Talk about before and after. Point to two cards and model "Before they eat, they…"
  5. Retell the whole routine together, then let the child tell it their way.

Make it easier or harder

  • Easier: use two cards only (packing and eating) and add the others later.
  • Harder: ask what might happen if they forgot the blanket, then tell a new version of the story.
  • Extend: plan your own pretend picnic with three steps, and draw or photograph each step to make a personal sequence.

Try it at home

Pack a small real or pretend picnic together and narrate each step. Afterwards, look at photos or the picture cards and retell what you did, in order.

Pairs well with

Activities in this pack

Adult modelingPicture choicesPointing, gesture or words

Choosing this pack

Use together with an adult. Choose a comfortable way to look at pictures and communicate. No reading or spoken answer is required.

How to use it

  1. Look at the whole story together before using the cards.
  2. Model one possible description, then leave time for a response.
  3. Offer two pictures when helpful. Accept pointing, gesture, or a different plausible telling.
  4. Stop or change the activity when interest fades. This is a shared activity, not a test.

Sources & permissions

Original story concepts and illustrations

Original stories and activities by StoryTalkKit.

Original production, not adapted from a third-party story.

Each license is for one household or one individual professional. Professionals may share pages marked “Home practice” with the families they work with.

A few helpful answers

Is Picnic Prep good for a summer or picnic theme?

Yes. It follows a familiar routine (pack the basket, carry it to the park, enjoy the picnic, pack everything away), so it fits a summer, outdoors, food or "caring for the park" theme.

How is a routine story different from a problem story?

In Picnic Prep nothing goes wrong: each step leads naturally to the next. That makes it a gentle way to practise order and time words. Stories like Lost Ball or The Wet Painting add a small problem to solve.

Can I use it to talk about tidying up?

Yes. The last picture shows packing everything away and leaving the park tidy, which is a natural moment to talk about what happens after an activity ends.

Do I need a printer?

Not necessarily. You can look through the story together on a screen. To use the picture cards, print them on A4 or US Letter paper; low-ink pages help save toner.

Does my child need to speak or read?

No. Children can join in by pointing, gesturing, choosing a picture or using words. The adult guide shows how to model language and leave time for a response.

Which story should we start with?

Start with a 4-scene story such as Lost Ball or The Wet Painting. When putting four pictures in order feels easy, move on to 6- or 8-scene stories. Choose by interest and attention rather than age.

Can I use the packs with my students or clients?

Yes. One license covers one household, or one individual professional using the materials with the children and families they support. Pages marked Home practice can be shared with those families. A whole school or team needs one license per professional.

Which languages are the files in?

Every pack is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese (Taiwan) and Brazilian Portuguese. One purchase includes all seven languages.

Is this a therapy program?

No. These are educational story materials. Speech therapists and educators can use them in their sessions, but the packs do not diagnose, assess or replace individual professional support.

Educational resources for use with an adult. Not a diagnostic tool or a substitute for individualized professional care.