Free Printable Mealtime PECS Communication Book
A small picture book built for the table, with a food and drink page and a core requests page, so your child can ask for a snack, a drink, more, or a break during meals.
- Free printable PDF
- Editable in browser
My Mealtime Book
I want ___ ___ ___
Print both. Cut out the picture cards and velcro them onto the book base's labeled slots.
- Print both PDFs: the book base and the picture cards.
- Laminate the base pages, then cut out the picture cards.
- Add a small piece of velcro to each card and each labeled slot, and match them up.
- Your child pulls a card and places it on the cover strip to make a request.
The mealtime communication book keeps the cards your child needs at the table in one place they can flip through. The first page is food and drink, with eat, drink, apple, milk, and water. The second is core requests, with words like more, help, break, and all done that come up at every meal. Instead of loose cards that scatter across the table, your child turns to the page they need and hands over a card.
This template prints in two versions. The blank version gives you a cover and both category pages as empty labeled boxes, so you can write in words or add your own photos before you laminate. The with symbols version fills every slot with picture cards, ready to cut, laminate, and use. Both keep the boxless cover strip your child can build a longer request on.
Print the pages on cardstock if you have it, then laminate them or slip them into a small binder with hook-and-loop dots so cards stay put through spills and sticky hands. Model turning to the food page to ask for a snack, or the core page to ask for more, and the book becomes a reliable way for your child to communicate at every meal.
When to use this template
Best at meals and snack time, when your child needs one organized place to ask for food, a drink, more, or a break, so the right card is always within reach at the table.
How to customize this template
- Swap a symbol for a photo of your child's own cup or favorite snack, so the card is unmistakable.
- Add the specific foods your child asks for most to the food and drink page.
- Rename a page to match your family, whether that is snacks, drinks, or breakfast.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a mealtime communication book?
- It is a small PECS book built for the table, with a food and drink page and a core requests page. Your child carries it, turns to the page they need, and hands over a card to ask for a snack, a drink, more, or a break during meals.
- What pages come in this book?
- Two pages: food and drink, with eat, drink, apple, milk, and water; and core requests, with high-use words like more, help, break, and all done. You can add, rename, or remove pages in the free editor.
- What is the difference between the blank and with symbols versions?
- The blank version prints the cover and both pages as empty labeled boxes, so you can write words or add your own photos before laminating. The with symbols version fills every slot with ready-to-cut picture cards.
- How is this different from a full communication book?
- The full communication book covers six categories across the whole day. The mealtime book is a focused two-page version for the table, which is easier to start with and quick to reach for during a meal.
- Is this mealtime PECS book free to print?
- Yes. Download both the blank and the with symbols versions with no email required, or open the book in the free editor to rename pages, add or remove cards, swap in your own photos, and set the card size before you print.
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