Sensory-Friendly and Inclusive Holiday Events for All Ages
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.
Sensory-Friendly Hours and Programs for Families at the Illinois State Fair
DSCC team members will be at the fair’s Sensory Station on Aug. 8-11 and help during special sensory-friendly Sunflower Hours on Aug. 10
We understand the importance of having inclusive and accessible activities for children and families available in local communities. We are excited to help support the Illinois State Fair’s sensory-friendly efforts next month.
The 2024 Illinois State Fair is happening in Springfield from Aug. 8-18.
Our Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) team members from central Illinois will help staff the fair’s Sensory Station. The fair is also offering sensory-friendly Sunflower Hours and other programming to make the fair a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for all.
Please read below for more details.
DSCC at the Sensory Station
Thursday, Aug. 8, to Sunday, Aug. 11
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
Our DSCC team will be at the fair’s Sensory Station from Thursday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 11.
The Sensory Station is inside the Emmerson Building, just off Main Street and Brian Raney Avenue in the center of the fairgrounds. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. It is an air-conditioned, dedicated quiet zone with activities and resources to help visitors regroup and refocus.
The Sensory Station will have noise-canceling headphones, calming pods and sensory-friendly activities, such as a foam block pit, a stuffed animal “petting zoo,” a coloring station and more. These tools and activities are for children and adults who need help processing the sights, smells, noises and crowds at the fair.
Our DSCC team will also have a tent and table outside the Sensory Station on these four days. We will have coloring activities and information about our programs and services for families. Be sure to stop by and see us!
Sunflower Hours
Saturday, Aug. 10
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
As part of its sensory-friendly efforts, the fair is also hosting Sunflower Hours on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. During this time, the fair will adjust certain programs and activities to create a softer, more calming environment for children and adults with sensory processing sensitivities.
The fair has Sunflower Hours stickers available for families to use during this timeframe. This sticker allows fair visitors with sensory sensitivities to enjoy select amusement rides for free during the Sunflower Hours. Riders must have the Sunflower Hours sticker and an adult and/or caregiver accompanying them.
DSCC has a limited number of stickers available for our program participants. If you are a DSCC participant family and would like us to send you a Sunflower Hours sticker, please email dscc@uic.edu with your name and your participant’s name. To allow enough time to mail stickers, please make your request by Aug. 5. We will send stickers on a first-come, first-served basis.
All families may visit the Sensory Station during the Sunflower Hours event to get more stickers. The stickers will be available while supplies last.
Conservation World, located at the fairgrounds’ Eighth Street entrance, will also host Sunflower Hours on Tuesday, Aug. 13, and Saturday, Aug. 17, from 9 to 10 a.m. Fairgoers can explore the great outdoors in a more peaceful and sensory-friendly setting during these times.
Social Story and Other Resources
The Illinois State Fair has a social story to help you plan your visit to this year’s event. It is a step-by-step guide to help parents and caregivers explain what to expect during a visit to the Illinois State Fair.
You can find the social story and more details about the Sensory Station, Sunflower Hours, the entertainment schedule and more on the Illinois State Fair website.
We are proud to help support greater accessibility and inclusion at the 2024 Illinois State Fair.
For more information about other sensory-friendly activities and events for children and families throughout Illinois, please visit our Events page and follow us on Facebook.