Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
If I Get Lost on Holiday: Free Printable Worksheet for Reception
- ForReception
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
If I Get Lost on Holiday is a free printable PSHE worksheet for Reception (ages 4 to 5). An adult reads a short comic aloud. Children finish it by drawing in the boxes, then tell the story back. It is screen free and needs only a pencil. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
The sheet is a short comic about a boy called Sam on a family holiday. Sam plays near the tent, then cannot see his mum and dad. Children draw in each box as the adult reads the panel aloud. They draw the parents, Sam's face, a safe helper and a happy ending. There are also lines where children practise saying a help sentence out loud. Drawing gives children a calm way to think through a plan and talk about it.
- 1. Sam plays near the tent. Draw Mum and Dad.
- 2. Oh no! Sam cannot see them. Draw Sam's face.
- 3. Who can Sam ask? Draw a safe helper.
- 4. Sam is safe now. Draw the happy ending.
How the comic works
Draw the family
The comic starts with Sam playing near the tent. Children draw Mum and Dad, so they picture the family before anything goes wrong. Let them add their own details.
Show the feeling
Sam cannot see his family. Children draw his face. This gives you an easy way to talk about how it feels to be lost, and that big feelings are normal.
Choose a helper
Children draw a safe helper for Sam. Ask them to explain their choice. Use this moment to share your own family plan, because every family and holiday place is different.
Finish the story
The last box shows Sam safe again. Children draw the happy ending and tell the whole story from start to finish. Telling it aloud helps them remember the plan.
Why talk about getting lost?
Holidays are full of new places, crowds and things to look at. Young children can wander off or lose sight of a grown up very quickly. Talking about it calmly beforehand, in a story, means children have already thought about what to do. A child who has a plan is often less frightened if the moment ever comes.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, Personal, Social and Emotional Development includes managing feelings and keeping safe. Communication and Language matters too, because children need to say clearly what they need. Drawing a comic lets four and five year olds do both. They show their ideas first, then put them into words with a grown up.
Keep the tone calm and gentle. This is a story and a plan, not a warning. Young children still need an adult close by at all times on holiday. The sheet does not replace supervision. Agree your own plan for each place you visit, and practise it together.
Skills and curriculum link
- Safety planning
- Drawing to tell a story
- Speaking clearly
- Listening to a story
- Talking about feelings
Helping your child talk about safety
- Keep it calmUse a relaxed voice. Say that this is a plan, just like knowing what to do in a fire drill at school. Children copy the mood of the grown up.
- Practise the sentenceUse the lines on the sheet to say the help sentence together. Say it slowly and clearly. Try it again in a different voice, quiet or loud, so it feels familiar.
- Know the family namesCheck that your child knows the name they use for the grown ups they are with. Practise saying it in a clear voice.
- Plan for each placeBefore a trip, tell your child what your plan is for that place. A beach, a campsite and a museum may each need a slightly different plan.
Key words
- ComicA story told in pictures, drawn in boxes that you read in order.
- PanelOne box in a comic. Each panel shows one part of the story.
- PlanWhat you decide to do before something happens, so you are ready.
- SafeNot in danger and not hurt. Feeling safe means feeling calm and looked after.
- HelperA person who can help you. Your grown up will talk with you about who is a safe helper.
- HolidayA time away from home or school, often somewhere new.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first panel aloud and let your child draw in the box. Wait for them to finish before moving on.
- Read each panel in turn. Ask your child to tell you the story of what they drew. Listen first, then ask gentle questions.
- Use the lines to practise saying the help sentence out loud. Take turns saying it, in a clear and calm voice.
- Check the notes on page 2 and talk about your own family plan. Come back to the sheet another day, because repeating a familiar story builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Point to each panel in turn and ask one simple question, such as "What can you see?" Offer a picture of a uniform to copy if your child is unsure what to draw. Do one panel at a time and take a break between them.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child what Sam should do first, and why. Then ask them to tell the whole story in order, using the words first, next and then. They could also draw a second comic set somewhere else, such as a beach or a shop.
Make it a game
Act the story out with toys. One toy is lost and has to choose a safe helper. Another toy plays the family and the helper. Say the help sentence together. Swap roles so every toy, and every child, has a turn.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child draws the first and last panels but skips the one about feeling worried.
Try thisAsk, "How do you think Sam feels?" Show a few faces yourself. Say that feeling worried is normal, then let them draw it.
Watch forA child draws happily but will not say anything about the story.
Try thisAsk one small question about each picture, such as "Who is that?" Or tell the story together, with you saying one panel and them saying the next.
Watch forA child seems upset or anxious by the idea of being lost.
Try thisStop and give a cuddle. Remind them the story ends happily and that grown ups are always working hard to keep them safe. Try again another day, or draw only the happy ending.
Talk about it
- What was Sam doing before he could not see his family?
- How do you think Sam felt? Have you ever felt like that?
- What do we do when we go somewhere new and busy?
- Can you say the help sentence in your clearest voice?
- What would you like to draw in the happy ending, and why?
- What should we remember next time we go on holiday?
Take it off the page
Toy rescue
Hide a favourite toy in the room while your child looks away. When they find it, talk about how the toy might have felt, then say the help sentence together.
Act out the story
Use dolls, teddies or building bricks to build a tent and play out the comic. Let your child be the one who decides what happens next.
Holiday plan chat
Before your next trip, look at a map or photo of where you are going. Talk about what you will see, and agree one simple family plan for that place.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go and let them lead the drawing. Keep the mood light and calm. Afterwards, share your own family plan for holidays and days out, and practise the help sentence together.
Teachers
Use it in a PSHE session, as a circle time follow up or as a table activity with an adult. It suits whole class talk about keeping safe. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a picture book about a family trip, or make a pretend campsite with a blanket. It works well before a real holiday or day out. You can print it again for brothers and sisters.
Where this fits in learning
Before this sheet, children learn to name feelings, know their own name and talk to familiar adults. These small skills make it easier to draw and talk about a lost moment calmly.
After it, children can build on the same ideas in later PSHE work, such as keeping safe in different places, asking for help and talking about feelings. In Reception, repeating a story and a plan in different ways helps the ideas stick.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is If I Get Lost on Holiday for?
It is written for Reception, ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. An adult reads each panel aloud, so children do not need to read the story themselves. It also works well with slightly younger or older children.
- What will children practise?
Children practise drawing and talking through a simple safety plan for what to do if they lose their family. They also practise telling a story in order and saying a help sentence clearly.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and give page 1 to your child. Read each panel aloud, let them draw, then ask them to tell you the story. Use the lines to practise the help sentence. Page 2 has notes and answers.
- What if it feels too hard?
Go one panel at a time and ask one simple question about each. Offer a picture of a uniform to copy. If your child is worried, stop and try another day. Do the happy ending first if that helps.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters or to revisit the plan before a different trip.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour with pencils or crayons as they draw in the boxes if they like.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a PSHE starter, plenary, circle time follow up or table activity, with no preparation beyond printing. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or as part of a wider plan.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.