Keeping Students Sensory Regulated During the Holiday Excitement
Strategies & Activities for Special Education Classrooms
The holiday season is magical… and a lot. Lights, music, schedule changes, special activities, sugar-filled treats—our students feel it all. As special education teachers, we know that December can bring just as many dysregulated moments as joyful ones. The good news? With the right sensory supports and predictable structure, the holiday season can become a meaningful, language-rich, and fun experience for all learners.Today I’m sharing my favorite classroom-tested, sensory-friendly holiday activities that help students stay regulated, engaged, and happy—while still soaking up all the seasonal excitement.
Why Sensory Regulation Matters More During the Holidays
The holidays bring:
❄️ louder environments
❄️ new smells
❄️ decorations everywhere
❄️ disrupted routines
❄️ lots of social interactions
❄️ extra sugar + high excitement
For neurodivergent students, especially those with sensory processing differences, all this novelty can quickly become overwhelming. Our goal is to keep experiences joyful—not stressful—by embedding predictable routines, movement opportunities, and calming sensory input throughout the day.
Sensory-Friendly Holiday Activities Students LOVE
1. Cookie Decorating (The Ultimate Sensory + Language Activity)
Nothing brings joy like decorating cookies—whether they’re sugar cookies, graham crackers, or even paper cutouts for a no-mess version.
Why it works:
- Provides multi-sensory input (smells, textures, visuals)
- Encourages fine motor skills
- Invites choice-making (“sprinkles or frosting?”)
- Builds functional communication
2. Gingerbread Houses (Graham Cracker Edition!)
You don’t need kits! A box of graham crackers, frosting, and candy from the dollar store = instant sensory experience.
Why it’s great:
- Perfect for hand strengthening and fine motor skills
- Naturally encourages collaboration
- Can be broken down into small, predictable steps
- Adds a calming, structured task to the day
This is an excellent activity for following directions, requesting materials, and using core vocabulary like:
🏠 more, on, like, help, stop
3. Sensory Bins with Dollar Store Holiday Items
Cheap, colorful, engaging—dollar store sensory bins are always a win.
This week I used white beans as the base
Ideas to include:
- Christmas bows
- Mini ornaments
- Bells
- Pom-poms
- Garland pieces
- Fake snow
- Little trees
- Gingerbread men figurines
Use tools for students who avoid tactile sensory input—scoopers, tongs, spoons, or cups.
These bins support:
- Regulation
- Fine motor development
- Parallel play
- Sorting and matching
- Visual scanning
And of course… communication!
Model holiday vocabulary like tree, lights, snow, red, green, scoop, open, in/out, more.
Keeping Students Regulated Amid the Holiday Excitement
1. Stick to predictable routines
Holiday weeks are full of interruptions. Keep the skeleton of your schedule the same to reduce anxiety and dysregulation.
2. Offer frequent movement + deep pressure breaks
Use:
- Weighted pillows
- Wall pushes
- Chair push-ups
- Stretch breaks
- Trampoline jumps (if available)
- Crash pads
Regulation before academics = success.
Final Thoughts
The holidays don’t have to be chaotic in a special education classroom. With sensory-friendly activities, predictable routines, and communication embedded throughout the day, you can create magical, joy-filled moments that keep students regulated and engaged.
Whether it’s a cookie-decorating day, a gingerbread house build, or simply exploring Christmas trinkets in a sensory bin—these activities create connection, communication, and confidence.
And THAT is the real magic of the season. 🎄
See My Full List of Adapted Activities at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/miss-j-modifies
Follow the Link to my: Christmas Coreboard
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