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.
Happy Holidays!
The holidays are not about doing more. They are about shared moments and feeling connected.
Flexibility allows families to focus on what feels best for their child. Small adjustments can help make holiday experiences more positive and enjoyable for everyone.
