Fun Holiday Treats To Make With Kids

Fun Holiday Treats To Make With Kids 

Jeanette Loftus 

The holidays are the perfect time for making delicious Christmas treats but children with sensory processing disorder, the excitement of baking Christmas cookies can turn into a sensory overload very quickly. The smells and sounds in the kitchen can be very overwhelming which can lead to anxiety. With a some compassion and understanding we can make baking a fun and inclusive experience for all children to enjoy. 

Baking with children at Christmas is not just about making delicious cookies and building gingerbread houses, it's about making memories and developing important life skills. I was looking for some treats that I could make with Bean and Edison over the holidays and found some really fun and delicious looking treats to make with kids so I thought I would create this  page and share some with you. I didn't find many healthy ones... but treats are fun at Christmas and even more fun when you are making them with your kids! 

Children with sensory differences may be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to different sensory input and when they are baking, this can affect everyone differently. There are several different ways to create a calm sensory friendly baking environment for children who may struggle with sensory processing disorder to prevent them from feeling overwhelmed. 

Clear off the counter space and reduce the amount of clutter. Using a visual timer may help children understand how long each step of the process is going to take. This way they will know what to expect. Break down tasks and divide each process into smaller steps. Here are more ideas for baking and cooking in the kitchen.