Supporting Sensory Needs During the Holidays
The holiday season brings excitement, connection, and new experiences. It can also bring busier environments, fuller schedules, and changes to daily routines. For many children, these shifts can affect how their bodies take in and respond to sensory input.
Supporting sensory needs is not about limiting experiences. It is about helping children feel comfortable enough to participate in ways that work for them.
Keep Familiar Moments in the Day
Even when schedules change, familiar moments can help children feel grounded. Keeping morning or bedtime routines consistent provides predictability and supports regulation on busy days.
Talking through plans ahead of time can also be helpful. Sharing where you are going, who will be there, and what to expect supports smoother transitions. Building in a daily quiet moment, such as reading together or listening to calm music, can help children reset.
On busy days, set aside five to ten minutes for a short reset before transitions or outings. Stretching on the floor, doing wall push-ups, or wrapping up in a blanket and reading together can help children feel calm and ready to move on to the next activity.
Use Movement to Support Regulation
Movement helps many children feel organized and ready to participate. Taking a walk before or after a holiday gathering can help reset the body and support balance and coordination.
Short movement breaks throughout the day can also be helpful. Animal walks, stretching, jumping, or dancing provide strong input to the body and support focus and body awareness. Including children in physical household tasks like carrying groceries or helping wrap gifts is another easy way to add movement.
Turn movement into a quick game by marching like reindeer, hopping like snowmen, or stretching tall like a Christmas tree. These playful movements support coordination and regulation while keeping children engaged.
Offer Calm Activities at Home
Calm activities help balance higher energy moments. Hands-on sensory play like play dough or kinetic sand supports fine motor skills and provides tactile input many children find regulating.
Creative activities such as coloring, drawing, or simple crafts encourage focus and quiet engagement. Reading together, especially holiday-themed books, supports language development while creating predictable, low-key time in the day.
Create a Calm Option During Busy Moments
Having a calm option available gives children a place to pause when needed. This might be a cozy corner, a quiet room, or a space with familiar items like books or a favorite comfort item.
Reducing sensory input for a few minutes can help children feel ready to rejoin activities. Talking about this option ahead of time supports independence and confidence.
Encourage Communication and Choice
Supporting communication helps children feel heard and involved. Offering simple choices, such as where to sit or which activity to join, allows children to participate in ways that feel comfortable.
Encouraging children to ask for a break or for help supports confidence and self-advocacy in social settings. Practicing these moments at home helps children feel more comfortable expressing their needs.
Helpful Tools to Bring to Holiday Gatherings
Having a few familiar items on hand can help children feel comfortable in new or busy environments. These tools are meant to support participation, not limit it. Bringing one or two options allows families to respond to the moment without overplanning.
Comfort items
A favorite book, small toy, or blanket can provide familiarity in an unfamiliar setting. Offering a comfort item at the start of a gathering or during transitions can help children settle in and feel secure. Some families find it helpful to keep these items in a bag and offer them as needed rather than having them out all the time.
Quiet activities
Coloring pages, crayons, sticker books, or small puzzles give children something calming to focus on during louder or less structured moments. These activities can be especially helpful during meals, long conversations, or when children need a short break while still staying nearby.
Movement supports
Fidgets, stress balls, or small sensory toys allow children to move their hands and bodies in subtle ways. These can be useful during times when sitting is expected, such as during meals or group activities. Keeping these items small and familiar helps children stay engaged without drawing attention.
Communication supports
For some children, having a simple way to express needs can make a big difference. This might include visual reminders, a short phrase they practice ahead of time, or an agreed-upon signal to ask for a break. Talking about these tools before the gathering helps children feel confident using them when needed.
These small supports can help children stay regulated, communicate their needs, and participate in holiday gatherings more comfortably.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays!
These small adjustments can help make holiday experiences more positive and enjoyable for everyone.
