Five Tips for an Inclusive and Sensory-Friendly Holiday Celebration

The holiday season is a time of celebration and spending quality time with your family. It is also one of the most exciting and busiest times of the year. The festivities can bring on challenges and stress especially if you have loved ones who are dealing with sensory sensitivities. The glowing lights, lively music and crowded places can overstimulate and overwhelm them.

We have put together five helpful tips to help you navigate the bustling holidays and have an inclusive and sensory-friendly holiday with your family.

1. Maintain Routines

Maintain your loved one's routines as much as possible. The holidays can be busy and chaotic with all the events and activities happening.

Routine is not only important in the daily activities of those with sensory challenges, but it's also when it comes to food. Many people with sensory needs enjoy eating the same foods over and over, and can struggle with new foods that are not usually something they eat (like many of the foods we enjoy over the holidays). Making sure regular foods are available for your family member with sensory challenges can help maintain a sense of routine.  Embracing repetition can also make people with sensory challenges feel calmer or more comfortable.

2. Use Visual Supports

Visual Supports are great communication tools that can help your child understand their routines as well as any upcoming schedules and events planned for the holiday season. Using visual supports such as visual schedules, social stories, and picture cards can help provide structure and reassurance, which reduces the anxiety for your loved ones.

Help them know what to expect over the holidays and when to expect them by using visual reminders for things like social gatherings in your home or planned activities outdoors like ice skating.

Incorporating visual supports allows your child to anticipate what comes next, offering reassurance in potentially overwhelming situations. This approach ensures a structured environment, enabling your loved ones to enjoy the festivities while staying engaged and minimizing stress and discomfort.

3. Engage in Sensory-Friendly Activities

You can still plan fun and engaging holiday activities for your loved ones while recognizing and addressing their sensory needs. Consider activities that are calming and in a soothing environment.

• Organize a craft night with your family! Make some homemade ornaments or put together a fun arts and crafts project. This is a great alternative to loud gatherings.
• Head outside and build a snowman or snow fort.
• Create a sensory-friendly movie theatre. Adjust the lighting and the volume, and serve some sensory-friendly snacks.
• Choose a sensory-friendly event in your area! Edmonton has a few events planned out for the holidays such as "Glow Without Limits" and the Aviation Museum has Sensory Nights. In Calgary, you can visit Zoolights, which accommodates sensory-sensitive guests by offering free rental Sensory Bags filled with supplies to enhance the experience.

By choosing suitable accommodations and planning, families can make holidays more enjoyable for their loved ones with sensory needs.

4. Wind Down and Take a Break

Holiday festivities can be a stimulating and overwhelming environment full of loud noises, activity, lights and colours. To help support your loved ones, carve out time for them to rest in between their activities to avoid overstimulation.

Pay attention to their body language and mood and plan your schedule accordingly. Keep them hydrated and have snacks available during outdoor activities. Additionally, pack comfort items or sensory toys and any calming strategies in case they need them.

If you are having a large gathering in your home, have a designated safe space, like a quiet room or sensory space, where your family member with sensory challenges can go if they feel overstimulated or overwhelmed can help keep them comfortable. Having a set of headphones handy would be helpful as well. It's also important to communicate the need for these breaks to your other family members to help manage expectations within your home. 

5. Set Clear Expectations and Be Flexible!

We all want the perfect holiday, but it's important to set realistic expectations and remain flexible when planning out the festivities for your family. Make sure that you consider your loved one's unique needs and comfort levels when planning activities. They may feel overwhelmed in large gatherings or places with bright lights and loud music. Instead, aim for a compromise by creating a more intimate setting that makes them feel relaxed and comfortable.

Recognize that the "picture perfect" holiday may not go as planned, and that's okay. A winning holiday doesn't have to mean extravagant plans. Keep an optimistic view of the possibilities for special moments you want to share. Holidays are all about cherishing moments, making memories and spending quality time with your family.