Santa - UIC Division of Specialized Care for Children

Sisters sit on each side of Santa posing for photos. They are in front of a festive background featuring a Christmas tree and a bright blue sky with falling snow. The girls are smiling and wearing matching sweaters and glasses, and have their hair braided in shoulder-length pigtails. One is holding a bell and the other has her hand on her head, like she is making a reindeer antler.

Connect as a family and celebrate the season at inclusive and sensory-friendly events across Illinois and nearby communities!

The holiday season offers many opportunities to make special memories. But the large crowds, loud sounds and busy pace of traditional celebrations may not feel comfortable or accessible for children and loved ones with sensory sensitivities and disabilities.

We’ve gathered a list of inclusive and sensory-friendly holiday events to help your family enjoy the magic of the season in ways that works best for your family. Activities and events include:

Sensory-friendly visits with Santa
Inclusive holiday parties and celebrations
Light displays
Accessible theater performances
Other welcoming activities for children and adults with special healthcare needs

Visit our Special Events page for the full roundup of activities. Just like Santa’s list, be sure to check it at least twice as we continue to add events!

Please note: The University of Illinois Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) does not organize or schedule these events. Please contact the event organizer with questions about a specific event.

Featured Events

The Secret Sleigh Project coordinates volunteers nationwide to provide in-home Santa visits to children who are medically fragile. See our Secret Sleigh event listing for more details on how to request a visit.
Autism Speaks and Cherry Hill Programs will offer sensory-friendly Santa experiences at multiple shopping centers in Illinois on Sunday, Dec. 6. You must sign up to attend. Photo packages will be available to buy.
- See our Santa Cares listing for more details. Be sure to select “Santa Cares”, “Caring Santa”, or “Sensitive Santa” when checking your location. Please check your mall location to confirm your date and time.
Head to the North Pole on Sensory-Friendly Polar Express Train Rides at St. Louis Union Station. Sensory-friendly rides will be available on Nov. 23 and Dec. 1 on the Grand Rapids and Northern Lights cars at 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7:15 p.m.

Sensory-Friendly Movies

Enjoy a movie with the lights up, lower sound and the freedom to get up, dance, walk, shout or sing. Visit these websites to find a theater and screening near you:

Holiday Lights and More

Looking for holiday light displays to walk, wheel, or drive through? Maybe a parade, cookie walk or festival is more your style? Check out the websites and listings to help plan your holiday adventures. Please note that some of these events may not be sensory-friendly.

Chicago and Northern Illinois

Get into the holiday spirit with WTTW’s 2026 list of holiday light displays and experiences. You can also check out My Kidlist for seasonal guides, places to see Santa, sensory-friendly activities and more.

Sensory-friendly and inclusive activities in the Chicago area include:

Central Illinois

Inclusive holiday events around central Illinois include:

For more family-friendly ideas check out Visit Springfield , Chambanamoms.com’s list of holiday events and Discover Downstate Illinois’ events page.

Southern Illinois

Hometown holiday parades, concerts and festivals are happening throughout southern Illinois and in the St. Louis area. Check out Southern Illinois Families and Southernmost Illinois for ideas and lists of events.

Inclusive activities include:

Share an Event

Know about an inclusive or sensory-friendly holiday event we should add? Please email us at dscc@uic.edu.

Take Care of Yourself This Holiday Season

The holidays can be joyful, but they can also be busy, stressful or difficult. Remember to take breaks and recharge when you need to.

You can’t properly care for someone else if you neglect your own health and well-being. Our Caregiver Mental Health Toolkit can be a helpful resource. It offers mental health apps, tips, tools, podcasts, videos, mindfulness coloring pages and more.

You can also search our website for support groups and helpful webinars.

The holidays can be especially difficult for families experiencing grief. On Nov. 17, the “Grief During the Holidays: Considerations for Youth and Caregivers” webinar will share strategies to support grieving children, teens and caregivers.

We add events and resources regularly, so be sure to check back often. We hope these opportunities help your family find a comfortable and meaningful way to celebrate the season together!

A young girl with Down syndrome wearing a winter coat and hat standing outdoors in front of a Christmas tree

Experience the magic of the season with Santa visits, light displays and other fun events happening throughout Illinois.

The holiday season is a time for joy, connection and celebration. For individuals with sensory sensitivities and other disabilities, traditional festivities can sometimes feel overwhelming.

We’ve gathered a list of inclusive and sensory-friendly holiday events happening throughout Illinois to help families celebrate the season.

There are light displays, sensitive Santa opportunities, parades and more going on throughout Illinois.

Our Special Events page includes a roundup of opportunities designed specifically for youth with disabilities and special healthcare needs.

We hope this collection of events will help spark ideas to create your own holiday magic:

The Secret Sleigh Project coordinates volunteers to provide in-home Santa visits to children who are medically fragile nationwide. See our Secret Sleigh event listing for more details on how to request a visit.
Autism Speaks and Cherry Hill Programs will provide free sensory-friendly Santa experiences at multiple shopping centers in Illinois on Dec. 8. You must sign up to attend. Photo packages will be available to buy. Visit the Santa Cares website for a complete list of Santa’s stops. Be sure to select “Santa Cares”, “Caring Santa” or “Sensitive Santa” when checking your location. (Note some event dates and times may vary. Please check your location to confirm your date and time.)
The National Federation of the Blind is offering letters from Santa and winter celebration letters in Braille to children who are blind or have low vision. The program is for children 10 years old and younger. Please complete the letter request form by Dec. 16. Letters are available in English or Spanish. If you have any questions, call (410) 659-9314, ext. 2236, or email education@nfb.org.
Enjoy a movie on the big screen with the lights up, lower sound and the freedom to get up, dance, walk, shout or sing. Visit the following sites to find more details and a theater near you:
For families in the Chicago area, Chicago Parent magazine has a roundup of sensory-friendly Chicagoland events as a list of free holiday activities for Chicagoland families. Activities include:
In central Illinois, enjoy time with Santa at the sensory-friendly “Meet and Greet with Santa” in Springfield or the “Sensory Hour Sweets with Santa” at the Allerton Mansion in Monticello. The Illinois Times family event calendar and Chambanamoms.com website also provide lists of events, parades, light displays and more in and around the Springfield and Champaign-Urbana areas.
Southern Illinois residents can find many fun seasonal activities on SI Families’ event calendar. It’s packed with ideas including the:
St. Louis events include Breakfast with Signing Santa and Milk & Cookies with Santa in St. Louis – Chesterfield.
The animals at zoos throughout Illinois are celebrating the season, too! Check out Sensory Night at St. Louis Zoo Wild Lights, ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo or contact your local zoo to find out what’s happening and when.

Be sure to check our Special Events page often as we add more holiday activities to the list. If you know of a good sensory-friendly event to share, please email us at dscc@uic.edu.

Happy Holidays!

Please note, the University of Illinois Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) is not involved in the organizing or scheduling of these holiday events. If you have questions about a specific event, please contact the event sponsor or organizer.

Santa with his bag and blowing magic snow out of his hand

Free Santa visits for children with autism and other special needs

Are you ready for some Santa magic?

Autism Speaks has partnered with Cherry Hill Programs to provide sensory-friendly Santa experiences nationwide.

In Illinois, Santa will be spreading joy and holiday cheer on Dec. 5 and 12.

Join Santa in a calmer, more subdued environment. He is planning stops in communities that include:

Aurora
Champaign
Chicago
Gurnee
Moline
Northbrook
Orland Park
Peoria
Rockford
Rosemont
Schaumburg
Springfield
Vernon Hills

These sensory-friendly Santa experiences are free. Keepsake photo packages are available to buy.

You can reserve your spot for the Santa experience online. (The organizers strongly encourage reservations.)

For more upcoming holiday events for children with special healthcare needs in Illinois, be sure to check our Special Events page often.

Make Holiday Memories at an Inclusive Event Near You