---
title: How to make the holidays more fun for your child
description: Some holiday traditions may not work for kids with learning and thinking differences. Use these ideas for reinventing holiday activities to fit your child’s strengths and challenges.
slug: holiday-traditions-kids-with-learning-and-thinking-differences
author: The Understood Team
reviewer: Amanda Morin
published: '2019-10-16T11:43:49.207Z'
thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/sCFAlBE0Cw7AhfPYUnQtZ/f84a24bc0192cc63ca917d5dff04757b/G882559002.webp
source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/holiday-traditions-kids-with-learning-and-thinking-differences
lang: en
---

# How to make the holidays more fun for your child

Family traditions can add a lot of joy and meaning to the holidays. But some activities may not work for kids who learn and think differently.

If your child has sensory processing challenges, for instance, taking pictures with Santa might be stressful. A child with ADHD might find it hard to sit through the holiday concert.

It can be disappointing when your traditions aren’t a good fit for your child. But you may not have to give up the traditions entirely. See if you can reinvent them so they work well for the entire family. 

How can you make the experience something your child looks forward to year after year? Here are some questions to ask:

- What activities might [build on your child’s strengths](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/5-steps-for-recognizing-strengths-in-kids) and interests?
- Are there activities you should avoid that might draw attention to your child’s challenges?
- What pieces of this tradition matter most? What changes can you make while still preserving them? 
- Ask your child, “What do you like about this tradition? What isn’t working for you? What might make it better?” 

## Simple swaps to reinvent holiday traditions

Making a few changes to your holiday activities can make all the difference. Here are examples of tweaks to commonly [stressful holiday activities](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/8-difficult-holiday-situations-for-kids-with-anxiety) for kids with learning and thinking differences:

| The tradition | Might not work for kids with… | Ideas for reinventing it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hosting a latke-making or cookie-decorating party | Trouble with attention (multi-step cooking processes)  Sensory processing challenges (cooking smells, noise) | Limit the party guest list to a smaller, more manageable number.  Hold a potluck-style exchange, in which everyone cooks at home. |
| Taking turns reading a holiday story | Dyslexia (trouble reading and understanding what was read)  ADHD (trouble paying attention to the story) | Ask your child to retell (or act out) the story — as it went or as your child *wishes *it went.  Listen to an audiobook version while sipping hot chocolate. |
| Taking a driving tour of holiday light displays | Hyperactivity (sitting in one place or being buckled into a car seat for long stretches)  Sensory processing challenges (bright lights, steamy car) | Take a short tour around your neighborhood to look at neighbors’ lights.  Invite your child to craft some indoor decorations for your own home. |
| Volunteering to prepare meals at a local food shelter | Trouble with social skills (talking with unfamiliar people)  Executive function challenges (staying on task while preparing meals) | Ask the shelter if you can help prepare the space the day before, when there are fewer people.  Have your child collect canned food from friends, neighbors, or family. |

Looking for more ways to help your child enjoy the holidays? Listen to an episode of our *In It* podcast to get [practical tips for dealing with holiday challenges](https://www.understood.org/en/podcasts/undefined/undefined). And learn how one mom simplified their family’s [gift-giving strategy](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/want-need-wear-read-the-holiday-gift-strategy-that-work-for-my-kids) to make their holiday less chaotic.

---

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