Wondering why parents search for and choose a Sensitive Santa event for their child? Do you enjoy looking back at yearly family photos of your children sitting on Santa’s lap? It may surprise you to learn that for many children, having their photo taken with Santa Claus is a challenge. But finding a Sensitive Santa can help!
The excitement of meeting Santa Claus can be overwhelming for children. For some parents that may sound very familiar. Unfortunately, many parents simply cannot bring their child to visit a regular meet Santa Claus event because their child simply cannot cope with the noise, lights, crowds, waiting in line, and even smells. Moreover, it is devastating for families to miss out on creating such a common, cherished Christmas memory.
Be a sensory-friendly supporter. Include all children at Christmastime. Encourage your local mall, community event organizers, even your office Christmas Party to offer a sensory-friendly Santa Claus event. Furthermore, with a little help from the strategies we share, sensory-friendly Santa Claus events are easy to do.
You can understand more about why this is important for many children, read our blog post on autism, anxiety, and sensory overload.
And parents, know that when Sensitive Santa isn’t available, there are still lots of strategies to make that yearly Santa Claus photo more enjoyable for all.
Find out more below.
Before you learn how to offer a sensory-friendly Santa Claus event, you may be wondering why you would offer it.
That means they are more sensitive to noise, light, scents, and so on. Moreover, 33% of people, including children have an invisible challenge like anxiety, autism, concision, learning disability, or something else that makes them experience sensory overload in daily life.
If 1/3 children you expect to visit are likely to struggle with the sensory-rich experience of extra noise, lights, scents, along with overall busyness, crowds, and general hustle and bustle, then making the experience more enjoyable is more than just being kind. Help create magical memories and capture special moments for all children and families at Christmas.
We created a FREE downloadable handbook to help businesses, malls, organizations, workplaces, community centers, and churches with a How-To Guide: Sensitive Santa.
Here is a sneak peek of some of the tips we’ve included:
We’ve made it easy for you to let people know that you are offering Sensitive Santa.
Furthermore, we love these additional tips for sensory-friendly Santa Claus events from Flappiness Is…
And we want to highlight these 3 Parenting Tips for Staying Sane and Gentle During the Holidays. Alison Smith is a mom and parenting coach who helps parents with spirited children. You can also listen to her on Mom Talk Radio in a featured interview discussing Toddlers and Tantrums.
Like or follow our Sensory Friendly Facebook page or join our private Sensory Friendly Facebook group where we will be sharing ideas, strategies, and tips to help manage sensory overload over the Christmas season.
Finally, please do let us know what you think! Fill out the contact form with suggestions to help other families enjoy Santa and we will share them too.
Christel Seeberger has been an occupational therapist for more than 25 years, helping people of all ages who experience sensory sensitivity and sensory overload. Christel understands how sensitivity and overload feel, she has hearing loss and wears hearing aids. Christel founded Sensory Friendly Solutions in 2016 to bring together people around the world looking for sensory-friendly living and the individuals, businesses and organizations who create sensory friendly experiences.