{FREE} Can/Can’t Play Door Hanger Sign

Use this “can/can’t play” door hanger sign to let your kids’ friends know if it’s a good time to ask for a play date! This is a great way to cut down on unwanted knocking or doorbells.

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We have a lot of kids in our neighborhood. And with it being summer time, there are more knocks on our door and rings on our doorbell from little friends asking to play. Like many kids, mine are required to have their chores done before they can go play with friends. Some days, they are done by 10am. Other days, they are struggling to get them done before dinner. Can you relate?

Not only that, there have been times when we are doing quiet time or have other people over and there are requests to play. Because of this, I found it necessary to make a sign to let our neighborhood friends know if it was a good time to play or not. (I felt bad opening the door and telling them our kids couldn’t play day after day.) I could also see this being helpful for you if you have a dog who barks every time there’s someone at the door.

This “can/can’t play” door hanger sign is really easy to make and can be printed and hanging on your door in 10 minutes or less!

Supplies Needed for Your Door Hanger

• White card stock
• Printer
• Scissors
• Paper trimmer
• Hole punch (optional)
• Personal laminator
• Laminating pouches

How to Get Your {FREE} Can/Can’t Play Sign Door Hanger Printable

To get your FREE “Can/Can’t Play” Sign, you simply need to enter your email below and it will be sent to you as an easy to print PDF file.

*NOTE* There are two different door hanger styles to choose from on the PDF. Simply choose the one you like and make sure to select that page number before sending it to your printer.

How to Assemble Your Door Hanger

First, print out your choice of door hanger. Trim around the outside edges only, leaving the two sides connected. To make sure I started with a straight line that wasn’t too close or too far from the edge of the door hanger, I used a ruler and pencil to draw a line to the edge of the paper.

Then I used my paper trimmer. You only need to make one line like this, since you’ll be able to see where the other lines are after the first cut.

Next, use a hole punch (optional) to make a hole in the circle at the top of the door hanger. This just gives you a starting place to get your scissors into so you can cut out the circle. (If you have a 1 1/2″ paper punch, you could use that instead of scissors.) Cut around the circle on both sides of the sign.

The next step is to fold the sign in half along the white line in connecting the two sides. Press the seam down well so it lays as flat as possible.

At this point, you have two options for finishing the sign:

1. Use tape or similar adhesive to stick the open edges of the sign closed. Cut a vertical line from one end of the sign into the middle of your circle and hang it on your door. Your sign won’t be as durable but will work for a short period of time.
2. Laminate the sign. This is my preferred method for finishing the sign, since it will be more durable.

If you decide to laminate the sign, follow the instructions below:

*If you don’t have a personal laminator, you can use clear adhesive contact paper instead.

Let your laminator warm up. Once warm, slide your sign into the laminating sheet, folded edge away from you and at the bottom edge of the sheet. Feed the sheet into the laminator. Use a paper trimmer to trim the edges down.

*PRO TIP* Don’t trim too close to the sign, as the lamination may not go all the way to the edge. If you trim too close, the lamination could come apart and you will have to re-do it.

Lastly, cut a vertical line from the edge of the sign the middle of the circle and trim the inside of the circle.

Place your new “can/can’t play” door hanger up on your door!

As a final tip, don’t feel like you have to have the door hanger up all the time. I only expect to use it during the hours of the day when we normally have kids coming over to play. If you want, you could even assign your kids to be the one to hang it up each day and turn it to the needed side.

When new friends come over, they may not know what the sign means and you’ll want to take a minute to explain why you have it. Depending on their age, they may not know how to read. In this case, you can explain about the colors (red=can’t play and green=can play).

I hope this makes your summer easier!