The Thanksgiving holiday can be filled with shopping trips to the grocery stores, time preparing and making your delicious turkey dinner and entertaining family. At CCSN, we understand this time may also be extra challenging for children with special needs. Our Mentors are here to provide your child(ren) with individualized care. We offer respite care in all six of our locations. We have a variety of fun activities to help your child practice positive communication, socialization, and coping skills. We have a list of activities we think your child might enjoy with you:
- Board games
- Dance Party
- Baking (they might be able to help you in the kitchen)
- Holiday books
- A “turkey” walk or hike
- Create bead napkin rings
- Turkey hats
- Turkeys made from their handprint
Having planned activities ready for your child will not only keep them active but can help in managing bad behaviors and any potential outbursts. You can set up an art station for them by gathering some colored paper to make some turkey hats or some craft beads so your kids can make some bead napkin rings to help decorate the table and set a festive mood. If your child is old enough to help in the kitchen, they can assist you or another adult with preparing side dishes or baking your family’s traditional desserts. Encouraging your child to help with the day’s preparations can boost self-confidence, learn a new recipe, and have fun while doing it.
Setting up structured play time in your home gives your child something to look forward to and will improve skills in working as a team and following directions. After dinner, you can plan a walk around your neighborhood for you and your kids or create a “turkey” walk where you can take turns doing your best turkey impressions on your walk. Along with getting some exercise in, you can also have a few belly laughs when you “gobble” as you “wobble”. You can end the night with some great cool down activities such as reading a holiday book together before bed or spending time talking about what they liked most about the day.
Plan ahead to be sure you have everything you need to create your child with the things they need to for these activities. Our Mentors are ready to help provide additional ideas to help your family have a great holiday season through our Family Support Services. We also offer on-site programs and services during winter break as the new year is just around the corner! Together, we can support you with our daytime respite and structured activities to help your child improve and learn to navigate daily challenges. You can also find more tips the CCSN social to inspire you to find new and creative ways to engage with your child over the holidays.