It’s not long until we break up for the Christmas holidays. While it is a fun time of year, it can also be a challenging time for children and young people with special needs when their routines are interrupted.
CENMAC Specialist Teaching Assistant Claire Hennings has put together some visual symbols to help your child know what is happening during the holiday period and reduce some anxieties.
We have compiled some extra resources from Ace Centre, Guide Dogs, HelpKidzLearn, Kids Kindness Club, RNIB, RSBC, and Widgit with lots of activities to keep children busy and engaged over the holidays.
Please scroll down the page to access all the resources.
Use a weekly timetable to add what will be happening for the week in the morning and afternoons during the holidays.
A Christmas Holiday Social story helps to explain what families and friends will be doing during the Christmas holidays.
A now and next board needs to be changed throughout the day, showing your child what is happening now and next, for example, “Now it’s breakfast and next we’re going to brush your teeth.”
Going to visit Father Christmas? These symbols will help to explain what to do when your child meets Father Christmas.
A visual daily routine during the school holidays can help children understand what they will be doing throughout the day and can help to reduce anxiety.
Bring festive sparkle to learning with this great NEW Christmas Activity Pack. Created for learners with special educational needs, this pack is full of simple step by step ideas that blend on screen learning with hands on sensory fun.
Each month Nessy includes free gifts in Nessy News. In December Nessy are gifting free worksheets and decodable readers. Use these in class or give to students to take home for winter break.
Ace Centre
A resource pack which can be used in different ways. Whether directing someone to create a snowman or playing a game to see who can build Frosty first.
Ace Centre
Sharing a story in an interactive and engaging way is a wonderful thing to do any time of year but made even more special at Christmas!
This fantastic Joy Makers’ Guide to Christmas to help make Christmas accessible for children with vision impairment. The guide includes lots of fun ideas and activities shared by parents, carers and young people.
A great Christmas Sensory Activity pack. Try out these sensory activities to experience what Christmas is like for children with vision impairment.
Fantastic Christmas themed activities and games for a variety of learners from EYFS – KS2 in mainstream and special educational settings.
A special Christmas Kindness Advent Calendar with suggestions for acts of kindness every day during the holidays.