Sunday, December 27, 2015

Catching the Sun....

Happy Holidays!!!! 

So I am super excited! This past weekend myself and the board members of my newly incorporated 501(c) (3) hosted our first ever Sensory Friendly Holiday Event for Children with Autism!  

D3 Sports & Recreation is dedicated to providing a safe and encouraging environment for individuals on the Autism spectrum with opportunities to participate in sports and recreational activities regardless of their gender, cognitive, physical and/or emotional abilities.  To promote Sensory Integration and Social Engagement through team play and recreation.  To promote and encourage community involvement and sponsorships, in order to provide services for free or low costs.
My reason for starting the organization was to be able to provide more activities for individuals with Autism and their families where they feel comfortable and enjoy themselves.  

The holiday season can be very overwhelming for people in general so can imagine how difficult it may be for an individual with special needs, such as Autism?  The big crowds, bright lights, and noise can cause someone with Autism to meltdown.  Let's not forget the long lines to wait and see Santa!!! So when Mott Haven Bar & Grill agreed to let us host our event there, we were SUPER excited!!!! 


1 Bruckner Blvd, Bronx, NY 10454 

It was important to me that we choose activities that were appropriate for the guests.  I knew just the place to find some cool crafts.  Oriental Trading!!!! awesome

Oriental Trading had so many awesome things to choose from.  I saw these awesome Snow Globe Sun Catchers, and thought they were really cute and unique.  I was sure the guest would have a lot of fun designing their sun catchers.

I have been reading lots of articles and one of my favorite writers/blogger moms Lisa Quinones-Fontanez even posted about coloring relieving stress so I thought this would help keep the mood calm and less overwhelming.

We set up the event in four different sessions to keep things moving smoothly. We found a bunch of crafts at Oriental Trading . The idea was to have guests come in and receive and activity sheet and number to take a picture with Santa Claus.  We had four separate work stations, with a different activity at each station. 


Our first station was the snow globe sun catchers, we set up the table with the sun catchers and the accessories that we purchased, such as markers and string, in order to complete the project and take home a finished product.

Some of our helpers setting up before the event





 As I walked around the room to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves, I noticed that the sun catcher station was the most calm and relaxed.  I even caught a few of the adults joining in and designing their own.

work in progress 





The snow globe sun catchers were a definite hit! It turned out to be just what I wanted, a fun yet calming activity.  

Our first Sensory Friendly Holiday Event was a success.  If you are looking for great crafts and fun activities to do, be sure to check out Oriental Trading.com


 This review is based strictly on my opinion.  Others may have a different opinion and/or experience with product I discussed.  I was provided a free sample by the company and I provided my honest opinion. No other compensation was received for this review. 












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