UESL Guide: December ‘25 IDD-Friendly Events + Activities
December is packed with accessible, sensory-friendly, and disability-focused events designed to welcome families of all abilities. Whether you’re looking for a quiet Santa visit, a festive concert adapted for sensory needs, or a community health fair connecting you to disability resources, there are real, verifiable options on the calendar this year.
1. PaJAMa Jam – ‘Twas the Night Before Giving Tuesday
Date: Monday, December 1, 2025, 6:30–7:30 pm
Location: Banding Together Office, 7297 Ronson Rd, Suite G, San Diego, CA 92111
Organizer: Banding Together (inclusive music nonprofit)
Banding Together’s PaJAMa Jam is a cozy evening of live music, community spirit, and giving—inviting attendees to show up in festive pajamas and celebrate the season together. The event offers both in-person and virtual options, designed to bring the community together around music in an accessible, low-pressure environment. Banding Together is known for inclusive music programming that welcomes people with disabilities, including autistic and neurodivergent musicians and participants. PaJAMa Jam’s small venue, music-centered format, and community focus make it a strong option for many IDD families who enjoy music but prefer a more intimate setting.
2. Sensory Friendly Morning at The New Children’s Museum
Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025, 9:00–11:00 am
Location: The New Children’s Museum, 200 W. Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Event Link: Sensory Friendly Morning – The New Children’s Museum
The New Children’s Museum hosts Sensory Friendly Mornings several times a year. On December 6, 2025, the museum opens early with reduced crowds, quieter spaces, and a sensory-friendly environment designed for families who benefit from a calmer setting. Exhibits range from high-sensory interactive art to clearly marked sensory-break zones where visitors can step away and regroup. The museum explicitly frames these mornings as a sensory-friendly experience for families who need a quieter environment, which often includes children and teens with autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, or other developmental disabilities.
3. Holiday Craft Fair for Neurodiverse Artists (TIEE + Outside the Lens)
Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025, 11:00 am–3:00 pm
Location: 2225 Camino del Rio S, San Diego, CA 92108
Event Link: Holiday Craft Fair – TIEE & Outside the Lens (Event listing)
The Holiday Craft Fair hosted by The Institute for Effective Education (TIEE) and Outside the Lens is specifically described as a craft fair “for neurodiverse artists and micro-business owners.” Visitors are invited to support these artists, purchase unique handcrafted items, and celebrate the creativity and entrepreneurship of neurodiverse community members. This event is explicitly centered on neurodiverse artists, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are building micro-businesses and showcasing original work.
4. Autism Tree’s 17th Annual Winter Wonderland
Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025, 4:00–7:00 pm
Location: University of San Diego, Hahn University Center, Forums A & B, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110
Event Link: Autism Tree – Event Information (via USD/Autism Tree listing)
Autism Tree hosts its 17th Annual Winter Wonderland at the University of San Diego campus, featuring a festive holiday party for autistic children, their siblings, and families. Highlights include activities, holiday décor, and community connection for families served by the organization and the wider autism community. Autism Tree is a long-standing nonprofit serving children and families in the autism community. This event is specifically framed as a holiday gathering for autistic children and their families, making it clearly IDD-focused.
5. Sensory Santa in Mission Valley
Date: Sunday, December 7, 2025, 9:00–10:30 am
Location: Santa Cabin in Nordstrom Rack Court, Mission Valley (Mission Valley shopping center) Event Link: Sensory Santa – Mission Valley Event Listing
Sensory Santa in Mission Valley offers a quiet, lower-stimulus visit with Santa for families who need a more comfortable environment than typical mall Santa experiences. The listing notes that this event is for families looking for a “quieter, more comfortable environment to visit Santa.” Many IDD families—especially families with autistic or sensory-sensitive children—look for Santa experiences with reduced noise, fewer crowds, and calmer lighting. This event is designed with exactly that in mind.
6. Caring Santa at Fashion Valley
Date: Sunday, December 7, 2025 (morning, typically pre-opening hours)
Location: Fashion Valley Mall, San Diego, CA (lower level near Macy’s – “A Special Visit with Caring Santa”)
Event Link: Caring Santa at Fashion Valley – Event Listing / Mall Info
Fashion Valley participates in the Caring Santa program, a sensory-friendly Santa experience exclusively for children with special needs and their families, scheduled before the mall opens. Families can book private appointments for photos in a calmer, less stimulating environment. Caring Santa events are explicitly marketed as special-needs Santa sessions with modified lighting, reduced noise, and extra time, making them a strong fit for autistic, anxious, or sensory-sensitive children.
7. A Season of Support: Disability Health Fair (Imperial Valley)
Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 11:00 am–3:00 pm
Location: Imperial Valley Mall (in front of Macy’s), 3451 S Dogwood Rd, El Centro, CA 92243
Event Link: https://accesstoindependence.org/event/a-season-of-support-disability-health-fair/
The A Season of Support: Disability Health Fair is a festive, disability-centered community event offering free health screenings, resource booths, raffles, giveaways, and opportunities for families to connect with local organizations serving people with disabilities. Screenings include vision, hearing, autism, blood pressure, and other wellness checks. Families can meet disability-service providers from across Imperial County and learn about supports available for IDD individuals of all ages. Access to Independence serves people with disabilities across San Diego + Imperial Counties, and this event is specifically designed to connect families with disability services, adaptive resources, and community support — making it highly relevant to IDD families seeking local health and community offerings.
8. Sensory-Friendly Performance: How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (The Old Globe)
Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025, 10:00 am
Location: The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101
Event Links:
Sensory-Friendly Grinch Performance – Special Needs Resource Listing
The Old Globe – Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (Balboa Park)
The Old Globe presents a special sensory-friendly performance of the beloved holiday production “Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas!” This performance is “designed for children on the autism spectrum and other families with special needs,” featuring modifications such as fewer loud noises and reduced flashing lights in a welcoming, supportive environment. This performance is explicitly tailored for children on the autism spectrum and families with special needs. The theatre also provides a more flexible environment, where movement and vocalizations are understood and accepted.
9. Symphony Kids: Meet the Brass – ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (Sensory-Friendly Concert)
Date + Times: Saturday, December 13, 2025 – 10:00 am + 11:30 am
Location: Jacobs Music Center, San Diego Symphony, 1245 Seventh Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Event Link: San Diego Symphony – Meet the Brass: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas
San Diego Symphony’s Symphony Kids series presents “Meet the Brass: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” a 30-minute interactive concert designed for very young listeners (ages 0–5) and their families. The event is explicitly advertised as sensory-friendly, with sing-alongs, musical games, and supports such as a designated quiet room, sensory kits on request, and social stories. The program was developed in partnership with the SDSU Center for Autism. The combination of sensory-friendly supports, partnership with an autism center, and short run time makes this an excellent entry-point concert for young autistic or developmentally delayed children who may not tolerate a typical full-length performance.
10. TERI Players Present: A Christmas Carol (Inclusive Theatre Performance)
Dates:
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Location: Bornemann Theatre at TERI Campus of Life, San Marcos, CA
Event Link: TERI Campus of Life – Events
At the TERI Campus of Life, the TERI Players—a theatre company featuring adult performers with special needs—present an inclusive production of “A Christmas Carol.” Performances at the Bornemann Theatre are designed to spotlight the talents of neurodivergent and disabled actors, while welcoming families and community members to experience an accessible, supportive arts environment. TERI is a UNIFIED location partner and a well-known organization serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the TERI Players program specifically engages adults with special needs as performers, making this an IDD-centered performing arts event.
This holiday season, let’s get out, connect, + share joy with others!
If you or your loved one is part of the IDD community, we hope this guide helps you:
Pick at least one event to look forward to this December
Invite friends or extended family to experience an IDD-friendly event with you
Connect with new peers, organizations, and supports that can walk alongside your family all year long
At the Unified Esports League (UESL), we believe that belonging + community don’t stop when the event ends. In our UNIFIED Technology Centers across San Diego + Imperial Valley, IDD individuals build friendships, practice communication skills, and grow confidence using video games, virtual reality, PCs, tablets, and more—all guided by IDD-informed coaches and individualized technology education plans (ITEPs).
Tell a Friend: UESL’s Referral Program
If you know another IDD family who might benefit from UESL’s gaming + technology education program:
Share our website: unifiedesl.com/locations
Encourage them to reach out to our concierge client services team by email or contact form with questions about eligibility, SDRC funding, and enrollment.
Let them know to mention your family’s name when they inquire—UESL’s referral program offers special perks for families who help others find their way to our community ($100 Amazon Gift Card!).
If you’re curious about the referral program or want help getting started, connect with UESL client services directly through our contact page or by email—our team is happy to walk you through the next steps.
This December, consider choosing:
One event that brings joy
One event that builds skills or confidence
One conversation where you tell someone new about UESL
Every event you attend and every story you share helps strengthen the network of belonging, opportunity, and support for IDD individuals in San Diego + Imperial Valley—and that’s the kind of holiday spirit that lasts far beyond the season. Happy holidays everyone!
