Reduce Holiday Stress: Tips for the Child with Sensory Issues

Facebook icon Twitter icon Forward icon

Reduce Holiday Stress: "Tips for the Child with Sensory Issues"

This time of year is stressful for everyone, but it can be especially overwhelming for those with "Sensory Issues", both children and adults!  Loud music everywhere, lights, crowds, hot-cold, smells (some good, others over-powering) all can quickly build to overload and melt-downs! 

So we have put together a few of our favorite, tried and true, ideas to help you and your child get through it all. Click Here to view or print. (Please use your back button to return here)  (Feel free to "Share" with others, print and re-post)

Senseez: Vibrating Seat Cushion or Pillow

Fun, new cushions/pillows that vibrate.

  • Only a few left  in stock!
  • Help ease the senses, soothe, calm the body & focus.
  • Simply sit or squeeze to activate those "Good Vibrations"!
  • Light, easy to carry & take along to the library, restaurant, car, plane, Dr.'s office, Grandma's too!
  • Styles vary & are limited. Green Turtle; Pink Dino (but I keep calling it a "cat"...); Plushy Cow; Red Octagon & Blue vinyl square.

Holiday Crafting Fun

Facebook icon Twitter icon Forward icon

Happy "Crafty" Holidays

All you need is a paper plate, brown paint, construction paper, and a pair of hands!!  You can use your cinstruction paper to cut out eyes and a nose or use red glitter and google eyes. 

1. Cut your plate in half and paint each piece with brown paint. 

2. Trace your child's hands on brown construction paper and cut them out.  You also need four brown rectangles for legs. 

3.  Glue the pieces together to make a reindeer. 

4. Add glitter or beads to personalize your reindeer. 

 

Thank you Pinterest friends at craftymorning.com for this awesome activity!

Add a Star To Your Decorations

1. Cut five long diamond shapes from a cardboard box. 

2. Using a ruler, score the center of each cardboard star point with a craft knife.

3. Fold the star points at the score line.

4. Wrap small pieces of Duct tape around the tip of each star point and trim excess tape if needed.

5. Continue to cover the star point. 

6. Arrange into a five point star and tape them together.

7. Hang your awesome new decoration up!

Step 1

Step 2 & 3

Step 4

Step 6

5 No-Fuss Holiday Activities - Free Shipping Special 4 3 Days Only!

Facebook icon Twitter icon Forward icon

No-Fuss Holiday-themed: Writing, Visual & Thinking Fun!

1. Name your favorite reindeer? How many words can you create using only those letters? Write them down or can you do this as a "brain only challenge"? (Try it while waiting in line, driving in the car, at breakfast!)

Ask children to shout out holiday words. Randomly write these on the board. Now use for any or all of the following activities. (A sneaky way to practice copying from the board too!)

2. Create a story or several sentences using 5 or more of the words. 

3. Carefully, write these words in the squares on graph paper. Don't forget to make some vertical and diagonal. Cross each other too! Fill random letters into the extra spaces.  Now you made a word search puzzle that you can share or exchange with friends.

4. Make a circle on a large sheet of paper. Now ask the child to draw a small picture of each word, anywhere in the circle. Exchange papers. Ask children to quickly visually scan and find the picture that you randomly name. How quickly can they find them? (This is a great activity to "wake up" the eyes before reading!)

5. Let's Make a Puzzle!  Carefully color in or draw a holiday picture. Include a solid color edge as a frame or tape/glue one on later. When complete, use a ruler to draw cutting lines across the picture. Cut very carefully to create a personalized puzzle. Remember more pieces, diagonals and irregular shapes will make assembling the puzzle more challenging - so less can be more successful!  Have each child select 1 letter or shape to put on the back of each of their pieces -Just in case they get mixed with others. (Hint- have zip bags for each child's puzzle pieces when done)

Free Ground Shipping!

Online Orders Only - Ground Shipping within contiguous US; $45 min order   

3 Days Only!

Must select Free shipping at checkout. Expires tuesday. (drop ship & other items excluded)

PS: Gift Certificates ALWAYS fit....

A Holiday Twist to Hopscotch & Senseez Vibrating Cushions

Facebook icon Twitter icon Forward icon

Twist on Old Favorite Activity #2:

Hopscotch:

You need some chalk or tape if you are inside to make the hopscotch board.  You can write numbers 1-10 in the boxes.  Throw a stone, bean bag or other marker to a square (usually in sequence). Then jump and hop to the square to retrieve the marker. Turn around, and return without dropping the object. Only 1 foot per square permitted. Alternate players and keep playing until you have completed all the squares.

New Hopscotch Holiday Twist:

  • Instead of numbers, use holiday designs- a christmas tree, candy cane, snowman, dreidel, party hat.  You can also write holiday related words such as lights, party, reindeer, santa, or presents to name a few.
  • After the child takes a turn, they must write down or draw the picture on a piece of paper of their square.  It helps track what square they did and practices writing at the same time!
  • Use construction paper or rug squares to "shuffle" the squares before each game.
  • Use holiday or seasonal themed markers like jiggle bells or dredeils. Or refer to colored bean bags by seasonal terms like: "reindeer brown"; "carrot-nose orange"; "holly green" etc.

SENSEEZ CUSHIONS

Fun, new cushions/pillows that vibrate. Help ease the senses, soothe, calm the body & focus. Simply sit or squeeze to activate those "Good Vibrations"! Light, easy to carry & take along to the library, restaurant, car, plane, Dr.'s office, Grandma's too! Styles vary & are limited.