Eliminating overwhelming lights and sounds makes Chuck E. Cheese’s a safe place for kids with sensory issues to have fun.
The bright lights and noisy games at Chuck E. Cheese’s can be a nightmare for kids with Sensory Processing Disorder. This is why Chuck E. Cheese’s is making their fun restaurant and play area accessible to kids with sensory issues by offering Sensory Sensitive Sundays! Chuck E. Cheese’s has been offering Sensory Sensitive Sundays at select locations for the past year. After the wild success of this event, they have now rolled out the event throughout all 355 locations in the United States and Canada as of April 2 for World Autism Awareness Day!
About Sensory Sensitive Sundays
Sensory Sensitive Sundays takes place two hours before regular hours on the first Sunday of every month. During this time period, Chuck E. Cheese’s will offer:
- Dimmed lighting
- Smaller crowds and noise
- Show and music turned off or down
- Limited appearances by the mascot, Chuck E.
- Food and games available
Amy Anderson, the senior director of advertising and media at Chuck E. Cheese’s entertainment, says that the reason for the new program is because “Our tagline is ‘Where a kid can be a kid’ and we want to ensure we extend this idea to kids who otherwise may not be able to enjoy Chuck E. Cheese’s due to sensory overload.”
More and more establishments are adopting sensory-friendly events to accommodate the needs of kids with sensory issues. This is a great way for families to do more activities with their kids, and they help kids with sensory issues to enjoy the same things that their peers enjoy without the fear of sensory overstimulation. We’re hoping to see more and more establishments adopting the same practices! For more ideas for sensory-friendly outings, check out this blog post on sensory-friendly museums in the Washington DC area.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center serves families of children and adolescents with disabilities and special needs. We are a team of experts in the fields of pediatric speech, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavioral sciences. As a team, we offer intensive hands-on therapy for children and adolescents, as well as informative and useful resources for families. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do to help your family, visit us online or give us a call at (202) 561-1110 (Washington, D.C. office) or (301) 577-4333 (Lanham office). Want to get more information on how to help your child thrive? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.