How Hopebridge Celebrates the Holiday Season

Merry Gatherings, Festive Photo Opps and Winter Activities in Hopebridge Centers

It’s a season of giving. Of course, this includes toys and other presents, but at?Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers, it’s also about being present with each other. It’s about giving thanks, giving hope, giving high-fives and giving joyful new experiences.

Across the nation, our centers, regional teams and home office are celebrating the holidays by celebrating each other and our kids.

The festivities kicked off with a company-wide spirit week full of dress-up days that include everything from not-so-ugly sweaters to snow gear, plus days full of reindeer games and hot cocoa. From there, Hopebridge center managers and clinicians are putting their own twists on their favorite holiday activities and team bonding activities, which are creating unforgettable experiences for both our children and our Hopebridge Heroes.

Autism Therapy Centers Turn into Winter Wonderlands for Kids

Core memories were activated as our centers held?meet-and-greets with Santa?in safe, sensory-friendly and familiar environments that were full of smiles and hugs.

Adorable animals visited the therapy centers in?Kokomo, IN?and?Macon, GA. Kids had the chance to goats and pet a pony named Petunia, all dressed up in reindeer horns, as well as Tyler the therapy dog for some extra cute fun.

And did you know there was snow in Florida this winter?! From faux snowballs to floating foam flurries, the?St. Petersburg center team?brought in the magic of snow for its kids to experience. They created winter-themed sensory bins, which provided opportunities for sensory exploration to decrease tactile defensiveness, plus chances to develop fine and gross motor skills. This fun activity also helped kids work on skills like color identification and counting and learn more about seasons, weather and seasonal clothing items.

Other kids made salt dough ornaments and decorated cookies, which engaged them in a festive fine motor activity, while leading to sweet treats and gifts for family and friends.

Team Appreciation and Celebration for Hopebridge Heroes

Though everything we do is for the kids, our team members had the chance to partake in the fun, too.

Some played Hanukkah trivia games, while others took their holiday party offsite with vintage arcade games at Recbar.

Some?Hopebridge Heroes?lifted each other with center awards and silly superlatives as part of team bonding.

The fun wasn’t left only for the centers, as the home office crew held a desk-decorating competition, dined together, played trivia and raffled off exciting gifts for the holidays.

More Ways Hopebridge is Making Holidays Fun for Kids with Autism

We love to have fun at Hopebridge, but making the holidays merry and bright in your home is key.?That is?why our team created a?Christmas social story,?gift guides, and a list of?autism-friendly holiday tips?to support your family this winter. The support does not stop there. We want to be by your side cheering on your child as they thrive on Christmas, Kwanzaa, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and every day in between.?Contact us?to talk about how Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers can support you through applied behavior analysis and other complementary therapies year-round.

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