Christmas is just around the corner. For some it is an exciting time and the run up to it can seem like it goes on forever, and for others Christmas might be a bit overwhelming with different smells, different people and different textures.
A Christmas experience box can be useful to use to someone who is deafblind or has communication needs to help them anticipate the arrival of Christmas and all that goes with it.
Everyone’s Christmas is different so a Christmas experience box will be different to each person. In the box I have used as an example there is a candy cane, some tinsel, some baubles, some hearts and Christmas tree shapes covered in glitter and a Christmas scented candle.
There are lots of interesting textures to explore but also by using the candle this allows the person to relate the smell to the time of year. As we know, smell is a big trigger for memory so it could be nice to have this element in your box. You could also add a taste element to it using mince pies or Christmas pudding. For some people with some useable hearing there are plenty of toys and ornaments that can play Christmas music or Santa’s saying Merry Christmas !
Potential ideas for a Christmas box:
Wrapping an old shoe box in Christmas wrapping paper
A jar of cinnamon or mulled wine spice
A branch/twig from a Christmas tree (real or fake)
Pine cones
Fake snow
Snow Globe
What goes in the box will be different to everyone so don’t feel like you have to stick to this list. The experience box allows the person to explore and ask questions and it also allows you as the supporter to interact and ask questions through the different elements in the box.