20 Holiday Special Education Homeschooling Activities

Posted on December 2, 2017December 16, 2019 by Peggy Ployhar

Peggy Ployhar

Christmas, and the holiday season in general, truly is the most wonderful time of the year…for most things. But, when it comes to homeschooling kids who have special needs, there is a fine balance to maintaining your child’s basic daily routine while adding in additional holiday tasks.

One way to cut down on the stress of trying to fit it all in, is to ease back from regular curriculum work and add in themed activities instead. Many times, these types of learning activities are more easily embraced by a child than their typical school work. School seems less like school and more like fun, helping lessons get done more quickly.

Over the years many of the holiday learning activities our family did as part of our homeschooling lessons have become wonderful yearly traditions. We make international treats discovered through various unit studies and have favorite books my adult children have fond memories of us reading over and over again.

Here are 20 holiday-related free learning activities you can use to add some cheer into your SPED homeschooling days this season:

Christmas Gross Motor and Brain Break Ideas – 14 activities for adding some holiday movement into your homeschool day
Christmas Fine Motor Crafts and Sensory Play Activities – Fun Christmas sensory play activities and fine motor skill building craft ideas
Elf on the Shelf Sensory Taste, Smell and Sight Activities – Use Elf on the Shelf for helping your sensory child improve their aversions to texture, taste, smell, noise and light
30 Montessori Christmas Activities – Activities covering language arts, math, sensory, and life skills
LEGO Nativity Set Instructions – Build Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus in the manger, and a shepherd with two sheep out of simple LEGO blocks
Christmas Counting Puzzles on a Light Table – Simple Christmas themed counting puzzles you can make yourself to use on a light table
Simple Sewing Christmas Tree Decorations – Turn felt, buttons, yarn, and stuffing into an easy to sew Christmas tree decoration
8 Upper-Level Math Christmas Activities – Add some seasonal twists to geometry, algebra, and thinking skills lessons this Christmas.
Christmas Skip Counting Games – 3 holiday games to reinforce simple skip counting
Christmas Candy Chemistry Science Experiments – Have some science fun with all that yummy Christmas candy…it’s STEM learning made fun and festive
“Santa Claus, Santa Claus, What Do You See?” Emergent Reader – This print and assemble book reinforces 14 sight words within a Santa themed story
25 Days of Fine Motor Christmas Activities – Simple themed activities focused around building fine motor skills
STEM Holiday Light Circuits – Use old Christmas lights and a few common household supplies to teach a lesson in electrical circuits
30 Awesome Christmas Games – Games perfect for family time or lesson boredom busters
Holiday Speech Therapy Activities – Holiday speech therapy activities that are hands on and interactive
Nativity Activities and Educational Resources – A mix of 35 activities, crafts and printables all focused around the nativity
A Very Merry Occupational Therapy Christmas – 25 activities that address a variety of occupational skill areas
Christmas Journal – Free printable to help you discuss and capture all the special moments and memories with your child this Christmas
Candy Cane Activities for Upper Elementary – Activities for writing, science, history, and math all related to the simple candy cane
Christmas Scripture Copywork – Work on handwriting skills while keeping the true meaning of Christmas as your lesson focus.

If that list does not meet your needs, or you still want more activities, make sure to check out the SPED Homeschool Christmas Pinterest Board

You will find lots more free or inexpensive holiday-themed learning activities to fill your entire month of December.

Merry Christmas!

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Stress Less This Christmas

Posted on December 1, 2017December 2, 2019 by Kimberly Vogel

By Kimberly A Vogel

I opened the door and stepped into a winter wonderland. White, blue, and silver Christmas decorations adorned the house. After days of rushing around and overwhelming holiday stress, I finally felt like I could breathe.

Something was comforting in the white. It brought a sense of calm and peace. The term white space repeated in my thoughts and synced to the white lights blinking.

I need white space in my life, especially around the holidays.

White space, a term writers use, refers to the white space on a page so the reader isn’t bombarded by words. I need a place where I’m not bombarded. I need extra room to move and breathe. Instead of cramming more activities into an already filled schedule, I should plan less and leave room for more spur of the moment activities.

My thoughts started to create priorities on how I just might be able incorporate white space into my life to lower my holiday stress.

“My holiday did not have peace and my short temper overshadowed my love.“

These were the reminders I needed to tell myself.

Keep your calendar handy so you don’t overbook

Do you have a planner? Do you use your phone or paper? What you use isn’t important, using it is what’s important. Overbooking isn’t just having two activities at the same time, it’s having too many activities in a day or week.

Say yes sparingly

In Volunteering: Pray about every opportunity. Only commit to what you have time to do well. It’s better to focus on one or two opportunities, than saying yes to five things and only following through with a few.

With Activities: There’s an abundance of fun family events only available during the holidays and you should never feel obligated to go to them all. It seems like every group has a party this time of year. Make sure whatever you do commit to fits into your plan and isn’t too taxing. Also, consider your family’s special circumstances: If you have small kids, parties during nap time make the day difficult. If you have special needs kids, there are so many things to think through… sensory issues, behavior issues due to excess sugar, dietary restrictions, over-stimulation.

Don’t operate out of guilt, expectations, or ideals

Expectations run high during the holidays. As moms, we often set the pace for our family. As women, guilt plays a role into our decision making. I’ll never forget the year I ran myself ragged to make sure an event happened, all to find out I was the only one who wanted it. In this instance, the event’s importance had been heightened by a childhood memory, an ideal I eventually had to let go for the sake of my family’s sanity.

Back in the lovely decorated home, I walked into another room where a huge Fontini display decorated the corner. A village scene centered around the nativity. Then it hit me, THAT is the who of my white space. Jesus came to bring…peace, love and salvation. If He’s not at the center of my white space then I am just creating voids that attract fillers.

My holiday did not have peace and my short temper overshadowed my love. White space is only beneficial if it is filled with Jesus because He perfectly fills the void. Jesus space, as the center of our white space, brings me back to what this holiday season is all about.

What can you do to create white space and Jesus space into your life?

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Un-Hyping the Holiday Season

Posted on November 29, 2017December 16, 2019 by Peggy Ployhar

Cammie Arn

The holiday are upon us. So, the question at hand is: “How do we deal with all the shopping and prepping that goes into this time of year when it can be so overwhelming?”

Here are some things that worked in our family, when daily life caused sensory overload from the heightened seasonal activity.

Shop online and with catalogs, it just keeps things simpler and away from crazy crowds.
Drive thru neighborhoods known for their decorations. Not only is it better on the pocketbook, but noises can be controlled and lights tend not be be as overbearing from the inside a vehicle. You can also make this adventure a special treat by picking up hot chocolate (or bring your own) and cookies.
Decorate the tree with simple white lights instead of flashing colored ones.
Try to keep your routine as much as possible, the normalcy of your days can help prevent many a meltdown.
Use festive fabric to wrap gifts. By replacing paper with fabric no one gets overstimulated with the constant tearing of paper. Plus, the fabric is reusable. Decorated pillowcases work great!
Use one gift box per person. Place all of that family member’s gifts in the one box and you save on the chaos of opening lots of little gifts.
Limit sugar. Even if you already do this, ’tis the season to work on it all the more. Too much sugar can cause any kiddo to get grumpy and meltdown (adults included).
Ensure your family gets enough rest
Pick and choose your activities. You don’t have to do everything…every year.

And, if things do go awry, take a deep breath. Tomorrow is a new day.

Happy Holidays.

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10 Holiday Homeschool Field Trips for Kids who Hate Crowds or Have Sensory Issues

Posted on November 15, 2017December 23, 2019 by Peggy Ployhar

Peggy Ployhar

When my kids were younger, I was not the type to be cooped up inside, especially during the holiday season when there was so much going on. But, even though I loved getting out and enjoying the holiday sights, my oldest on the Autism Spectrum was a bit of a scrooge about it all.

Instead of allowing my son’s bah-humbug holiday attitude to keep us all home, I decided to create sensory-friendly field trips that would limit crowds, lights, and noise. So, if you are looking for ways to get everyone out the house this holiday season, here are my top 10 holiday homeschool field trip suggestions.

#1 – Historic Sites

Visiting a historic home, fort, or site is a great holiday outing, especially on a weekday. Many of these sites go all out with decorating for the holidays, and although they are very busy on weekends, they still maintain hours during the less busy weekdays. To find the historical society in your area, and the local sites they maintain, you can search the Preservation Directory by state and region.

directory

#2 – Hiking and Geocaching

Geocaching is an awesome family activity, and one that can not only become a new holiday tradition, but a fun family pastime. Hiking alone makes for a wonderful field trip, but when you turn the hike into a treasure hunt, it becomes an over-the-top adventure.

Caches on or near hiking trails are very common, so plan a holiday hike near a cache or plan to hide a new one on the trail. The largest website devoted to this pastime is Geocaching.com. On this site you will find everything you need to know about finding and hiding caches.

geocaching.com

#3 – Christmas Tree Farm

Cutting your own Christmas tree is a lot of fun, and a very festive activity. And although tree farms can be rather busy during the holiday season, they do maintain less busy hours amidst the holiday tree-buying frenzy. The key is finding less busy times, and it usually just takes a quick phone call. Most of these farms are family-owned and more than happy to help you make your visit enjoyable and accommodating to your family’s needs.

#4 – Ceramic Shop

During the holiday season, local ceramic shops are usually equipped for kids’ groups to come and paint ornaments, nativity sets, and even items kids can personalize to give as gifts. A quick search on Google will give you a list of your local ceramic shops and their hours of operation.

#5 – Library

Your local library is likely to have at least a few holiday events; some of them during daytime hours or as ongoing holiday season activities. Check with your librarian, or on your local library website, to find out if your library is offering any sensory-friendly or quieter daytime activities your family could participate in.

#6 – Parks and Painted Rocks

Painting rocks and leaving them for others to find is a trend cropping up all over the United States. No matter how artistic you are, or how capable your kids are at painting in general, this activity can easily become a new family holiday tradition. To find out more about how to paint and leave rocks for others to find, you can visit the Kindness Rock Project website.

kindness rock project

#7 – Winter Sports

If you have an active family and live up north, winter sporting options abound. For those who like going fast, skiing and snowboarding are great options. Most ski resorts offer homeschool days when you can rent equipment and get lift tickets at a reduced rate during the less busy weekdays. Plus, many ski resorts also have equipment to accommodate children and adults with disabilities.

If you like to go at a slower place, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing may be better options. Local park and recreation departments often have trails and rentable equipment for both of these winter sports. Local parks are also a great place to go sledding, and their sledding hills are guaranteed to be empty almost days when public school is in session. And, whether you live up north or not, there is still one winter sport almost anyone can enjoy during the holidays: ice skating. Temporary ice skating rinks in the north can be found outside most of the winter, and during the holiday season many southern cities also set up temporary ice rinks indoors, fully stocked with rentable skates.

#8 – Holiday Daytime Performances

School groups as well as homeschool families can access daytime holiday performances. Most children’s theaters, ballet companies, and orchestras offer discounted tickets for these performances which are geared to the younger audience. If your child has specific needs for accessibility during the performance, make sure to call the theater directly to book your tickets so they can arrange for seats that meet those needs. Bringing earmuffs to muffle noises can also help children who are easily distracted or who may be anxious about loud noises during the performance.

#9 – Nursing Home Visit

Local nursing homes love to have kids visit. Plus, what kid doesn’t like having a few extra grandparents? If your family has never considered visiting your local nursing home, the holiday season is a perfect time to start because there are always so many activities planned throughout December.

Most nursing homes have a volunteer coordinator you can call to find out how your family can get involved. By letting the coordinator know the specific needs of your kids, they will be able to determine which activities would be the best suit your family’s involvement.

#10 – Tourist Attractions

Many tourist attractions decorate, or have special exhibits, for the holidays. And, while these places may be busy on evenings and weekends, they also have lower peak times you can take advantage of with your homeschooling schedule. Museums, zoos, gardens, aquariums, and tours (caves, factories, etc.) are great places to check out. Call ahead to find out when the attraction expects visits to be lower in volume, when there will be less groups visiting, and if any of the special exhibits have hours that differ from the general admission times.

General Homeschool Field Trip Advice

You might be a pro at homeschool field trips, but if not, this video will help you think through the most important things you will need to consider when taking your special needs child on a field trip.

Most important of all, have a great time making memories with your kids this holiday season!

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Surviving the Holidays with Children who have Sensory Integration Disorder and Special Needs

Posted on November 8, 2017December 23, 2019 by Jennifer Cullimore

By Jennifer Cullimore, M.A. Speech-Language Pathology

The holidays are rapidly approaching and sometimes our schedules fill up before we know it. However, for parents of children with special needs; specifically those with sensory differences, the holidays can be an especially stressful time. What can you do to make them better?

Keep as much routine or rhythm to your day as possible

Often times due to holiday closings, parties or family commitments, many of our days are not “typical” during November and December. However, if you can, keep some routine in your days. Try to keep meals, naps and sleep schedules the same, if at all possible. Even if the times are a bit off, having the same routines (reading a story, brushing teeth, praying before bed) can make a big difference in how your children react to the holidays.

Consider preparing your child for new events

This looks different for every child. But if your child needs to know what is going on, consider making a visual schedule or a social story to introduce them to new people, events, or new sensory experiences. Talk about the event, show them pictures, or even pick out a video (YouTube is fabulous for this) to show them what the event will entail.

Put yourself in your child’s shoes

As you schedule your holiday plans, try to step back and really look at how much you have scheduled. Think through what your child typically has trouble with or what triggers problems or meltdowns? Are there modifications to be made? If you have children who love something, and others who don’t, could part of your family participate?

Don’t be afraid to say NO!

This is probably my best tip: Don’t be afraid to say no. Though the holidays are special, we tend to over schedule and cram every social event into a month’s time. It can get overwhelming, even for adults who are extroverts. Sometimes we just need to say no. This involves prioritizing what is really important to us and our families. We don’t have to do everything in order to make memories. In fact, some of things that make the best memories, are those we do at home and without planning.

Let go of your expectations

In this fabulous of age of Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, we tend to want all our memories to look “picture perfect”. Guess what? That’s not real life. Sometimes the greatest triumph you will have is keeping your children alive or getting everyone a bath. Remember, when you see pictures of perfection that is literally one second of that person’s day. I can guarantee you that the other 86,399 seconds in their day do not look that way.

Embrace simple family traditions

Reading Christmas stories, playing with a nativity set, singing Christmas carols, decorating a tree, baking Christmas cookies, coloring and decorating the house all are fun ways to celebrate. You don’t have to be out at light shows or at a party with 100 people to make memories that your children will cherish. Just as you can do school “outside of the box”, you can do Christmas “outside of the box.” You can do it any way that works for you and your family. Don’t be afraid of embracing new traditions or trying different things.

Whatever you choose to do this year, we at SPED Homeschool pray it is an amazing time for you and your family.