The Cheerful Helpers Courier - December 2025
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Reflecting on Toys, the Season, and Sensory Awareness
Annthonet Hunt, MSW intern
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| Holiday Activities
Sam Zarate, MSW
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The holiday season brings so much excitement, movement, planning gatherings, buying gifts, decorating, traveling, and spending time with loved ones. It can be a joyful time, and it can also be a lot for children and families to take in. With so much happening, choosing toys can become just another task, and it’s easy to overlook what a toy can offer a child.
Toys are not only fun; they can support learning and development in many meaningful ways. They can spark imagination, encourage language, strengthen fine and gross motor skills, and support social-emotional growth. They can also create moments of co-regulation and connection. Thinking about toys in this way helps us appreciate the variety of ways children learn and engage.
Some children experience the world with sensory differences. Sounds, textures, lights, or movement that feel gentle to one child might feel intense or uncomfortable to another. These
differences are simply part of how each child experiences their environment. Choosing toys with sensory needs in mind can help children feel more comfortable, especially during a season full of new experiences.
Taking a moment to slow down and be curious can make choosing a gift feel more intentional. We might ask families what their child enjoys, observe the child’s play, explore toy options, or
think about what we already know about the child. These small steps help us choose gifts that bring ease, enjoyment, and meaningful engagement.
There is no perfect toy that guarantees endless fun and laughter, but choosing a toy that aligns with a child’s interests and needs can support everyone. It can help families feel confident that
they are doing their best to create comfort and joy, especially during a busy time of year.
Every child brings their own strengths, preferences, and ways of learning.
This season, let’s honor those differences by gifting with intention and awareness. When a toy meets a child where they are, we offer more than a present; we offer connection, understanding, and inclusive joy.
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Rebeca's Class - is learning about the letters H and I. Students are putting the letters sounds together to make words. In math, students are working on addition starting with the numbers 5 and 6.
Maria’s Class - is learning how to blend R (grin, trim, drum) and L (bland, flag, clap) sounds. In math, students are adding and subtracting double digit numbers up to 20.
First Grade - is learning about nutrition and healthy foods. They are also learning about what people eat in different parts of the world.
A small sample of books we read this month:
* Green Eggs and Ham
* Blueberries for Sal
*Eight Animals Bake a Cake
*How Are You Peeling?
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Starting December 22nd, Cheerful Helpers will be closed for Winter Break, and we will be back on Monday, January 5th. If you’re looking for ideas on what to do over Winter Break, look no further! Here are a few things you can do these upcoming weeks:
Make A Visual Calendar Together
If your family already has plans on what to do during this break, a great way to share those ideas is to create a family calendar. Spend some time thinking about all the things you may have lined up–dinners, trips, activities–and write them down on their corresponding days. Then, take some time to decorate your calendar, draw some pictures, stick on some stickers, get glitter happy, and decorate to your and your child’s heart’s content.
Griffith Park Holiday Train Ride
The Holiday Lights Train Ride is back at Griffith Park for another year of festive fun. At $8 a person, this outdoor train ride is one way to spend an evening that is suitable for all ages. Grab a warm drink from the Griffith Park Cafe next door and check out the available photo ops!
Have Some Sensory Fun!
Winter Break is a great time to try new sensory experiences and combine them with play opportunities. There are quite a few options that can be made with household items! For example, Sensory Snow Dough: create your own "snow" using cornstarch and lotion; It’s moldable and soothing to touch, and for added fun, play around with the ratios and mix until it feels right for you. Another activity to consider is Painting with Ice Cubes: freeze colored water in ice cube trays with popsicle sticks. As the ice melts, it creates watercolor effects on paper.
Visit a tide pool!
Did you know that the best time to visit a tide pool is not in the summer? It’s actually in the winter months! Many marine biologists and experts recommend visiting tide pools during winter afternoons because this is when tides are lowest and underwater critters are the most visible.
Cook Up Some Fun!
Since 2023, Cheerful Helpers has been creating its very own cookbook. This Winter Break, try making any one of the staff submitted recipes that have been collected over the years! Cooking together gives kids the opportunity to practice their number skills, as well as active listening, sequencing, and fine motor skills.
Noon Years Eve!
The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) Central Branch in Downtown is hosting a Noon Years Eve celebration from 11am until 12:00pm. This event is for kids up to the age of 11 and includes dancing, crafts, party favors, and ends with a countdown to 12 noon!
Do Absolutely Nothing
It’s winter break time! We have all worked so hard throughout the year and our bodies need the rest. Try laying down on the floor together, a regulating way to rest. Curl up on the couch together and read a story or watch a movie!
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Help us meet our end of year fundraising goal of $60,000. With two weeks remaining we have reached 53% of our goal. Click here to read this year's letter written by alumni parents, Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey.
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In this month's video Janet sits down with Maria to learn how her family plans to works together during the holiday to combat boredom! |
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- Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2, 2026: No School / Winter Break
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Saturday, January 10: Alumni Support Group (LINK), 9 am - 10 am PT
- Monday, January 19: No School / Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
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Announcements or additions for the Courier? Use this LINK!
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