The magic of Christmas is an exciting time for everyone, but it can be quite overwhelming for children with special educational needs (SEN).

So Adventure Wonderland in Bournemouth is putting on an afternoon of Christmas magic for SEN kids.
Adventure Wonderland’s SEN Santa afternoon will take place on Monday December 19.
Exclusive Santa sessions will have a reduced capacity to ensure that guests at the venue get a slightly longer visit to Father Christmas inside his snowy log cabin.

The reduced capacity will also help to reduce the number of guests in the Wild Thing play centre, where the thunderdome and music effects will be turned off in order to cater for youngsters with learning disabilities, autism or anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment.
Afternoon performances of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will also be amended for SEN visitors. The house lights in the theatre will remain on during the show and guests can come and go as they please.
The children will get to meet all of the characters before the show starts and there are no surprises. The volume of the show will be reduced and the flashing lights will be turned off in order to minimise sensory overload.

“Our Christmas event is always a sellout but that means it’s often too busy and too noisy for guests who may have additional needs and sensory processing disorders,” said Andy Brennan, creative director for Adventure Wonderland.
“We strongly believe that Santa should be accessible for everyone, which is why we’re introducing some amendments to the experience.”
The SEN Santa sessions take place at 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm and 5pm.
The relaxed performances of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ will take place at 2.30pm and 4.30pm. They will also be available online at www.adventurewonderland.co.uk.
For more details visit the company’s website or find them on Facebook or Instagram.