Cala Luna logoCala Luna by Little Lynx Studios
← All 28 social stories

Social stories · Home and family · ages 5–9 · 2-minute read

Moving to a new home: a social story

What happens when a family moves to a new home, and what comes with us. Add your own photos of the new home.

The story

Read it aloud together, one card at a time. Point to the pictures and let your child read the last card.

  1. Soon my family will live in a new home. Lots of families move to a new home.

  2. We put our things in boxes. My special things come with us.

  3. My bed, my toys and my family all come to the new home.

  4. On moving day, a big van takes our boxes. A grown-up I know looks after me.

  5. The new home has new rooms and a new street. It might look different at first.

  6. I can help choose where things go in my new bedroom.

  7. On the first night, I sleep in my own bed with my own blanket.

  8. I can say goodbye to our old home. I can still keep in touch with friends.

  9. I might feel excited, sad or both. Little by little, the new home can start to feel like mine.

My calm plan

Pick one or two before the day, and practise them at home.

  • 🧸 My special box
  • 📸 Look at photos
  • 🎨 Plan my room
  • 💬 Talk about it

Personalised social cartoon

Want this story with your child as the hero?

Cala Luna created personalised social cartoons: the social-story method, as a cartoon starring your child. Two minutes, their name, a hero who looks like them, and this exact moment, one small step at a time.

$12.99 · ready in 24 hours · checked by a person

Teo, a small lynx in a big yellow sun hat

How to use this story (for grown-ups)

  • Show photos of the new home and area, and add photos of your child there to make the story personal. Social stories work best when they are about the child's real life.
  • Pack a "special box" with your child's favourite things, and set up their bedroom first on moving day.
  • Keep routines like meals and bedtime as steady as possible before and after the move.
  • Say "we will live in a new home" rather than "we are moving house". Some literal thinkers picture the building itself moving.

Why these steps: what 30 years of research says about social stories.

Words that help

  • Try saying: "Your bed and toys are coming with us."Instead of: "Everything will be exactly the same."
  • Try saying: "It is OK to miss our old home."Instead of: "You will make new friends straight away."

Questions parents ask

When should I tell my child we are moving?

Usually a few weeks ahead, once plans are certain. Read the story over several nights, adding pages about moving day as it gets closer.

My child seems fine. Should I still talk about it?

Yes, gently. Some children keep worries inside; changes in sleep, appetite or mood can be a sign. If upset lasts for weeks after the move, talk to your doctor or school.

We read the best free examples and guidance we could find, then wrote a shorter, simpler version in our own words: Carol Gray Social Stories: tailoring Social Stories for a smooth move (PDF); American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: moving, helping children cope. Not medical advice; if you are worried about your child, talk to their school or doctor.