Sensory Santa with CCV (Christ’s Church of the Valley) is back for 2023!
This unique event invites special needs kids and adults, along with their families, to an outdoor Christmas experience, complete with a visit with Santa himself. While we don’t have a special needs child, it was a pleasure to visit the Peoria campus of CCV last year, and take photos to share with our Phoenix With Kids followers.
The event was mainly outdoors, with the cutest holiday decor spread out for families to enjoy. There was even a mini light show, with a couple songs synchronized to music! Our preschooler loved dancing around then trees, and we enjoyed watching the show with our hot cocoa and cookies on the lawn.
One fun activity was a scavenger hunt page, with about 15 familiar holiday items to find. We really enjoyed this treasure hunt – some were obvious, like the blow up snowman, and others were a little more hidden (thanks to the kind volunteer who pointed out that she was technically wearing stockings – with stockings on them! – so we could complete out list). We turned in our paper for a fun little goodie bag!
We also enjoyed the 5 minute nativity play, a couple crafts, and the snow/bubble machine. The craft area was near the line for free cocoa and cookies, so it was a bit busier, but everything was nicely spaced. The volunteers were the best too! A couple offered to take photos and asked if we needed anything.
Of course we met Santa too! He was so patient with our shy 3 year old. She didn’t want to sit in his lap, but after a minute of play peek-a-boo, Santa got a laugh and a smile. And a wave goodbye! We also observed him interacting with a couple special needs adults, and the same patience and fun was definitely evident.
For more information about Sensory Santa with CCV on December 7, 2023, hop over to their website. Numerous campuses also offer camps, sports, and other classes for special needs children and adults. Browse the Exceptional Stars program info here.
Other holiday events can be found on our events calendar!
