Christmas for Kids (C4K) is Embracing Arts’ main annual project and has been running since 2009. Our fun, festive shows are designed for children with special educational needs & disabilities (SEND), profound & multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and/or life-limiting conditions.
The unifying feature of the children in our audiences is that they cannot access theatre in its traditional form due to a lack of fully-accessible spaces.

C4K is unique in that we are the only company in the country delivering shows designed for children with additional needs into hospices and schools with a UK-wide outreach.

We bring our work directly TO our audiences in the places they feel most comfortable and supported.

Often, the children that we cater for are too unwell or have such complex needs it is not possible to move them from their safe spaces to enjoy the arts. As such, we perform wherever we're needed - whether that's in hospice living rooms, in canteens and bedrooms; in school halls and classrooms, or in the middle of children’s wards.

This image is of a girl with brown hair touching a puppet. The puppet has orange hair, a white shirt and black waistcoat and is strethcing out it's hand to the girl. The girl is looking at the puppet and reaching out her hand to touch the puppet.

This is an image from the back of a theatre facing a projector screen with a pink monkey & purple monster puppet on it. The theatre is filled with children and adults with Reindeer ears on their heads. There are some people sat on chairs, stood up or in wheelchairs. At the front are 2 lasys with santa hats on singing either side of the projector screen.

Our shows, delivered both in person and in digital format, have reached over 33,500 beneficiaries across the UK since we began.

C4K shows have always been offered entirely for free, and we fundraise throughout the year to pay our workforce fairly, meeting industry standards. Making this a free offering removes any financial barriers from our audiences accessing our work:

“With tight budget the opportunities to access any show are very limited. In the area where I was teaching it is almost impossible to take the kids to watch a show. So, to be able to offer them this experience in their own setting was amazing!”

– Teacher, SEND School, East Anglia

This is an image of a girl with yellow hair sat on a lady's lap. The girl is reaching out and looking at a pink and orange monkey puppet. The girl looks happy.

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We were named Children’s Charity of the Year at the 2023 Kent Charity Awards, and our digital work was Highly Commended by the Third Sector Awards in 2021.

This is an image of red square with the words "Third Sector awards High Commended 2021" written on it.

Christmas for Kids 2024 Projects

This is an image of an illustrated snowy landscape. There is text over the illustration saying "Christmas for Kids Chrimblesense Embracing Arts"

The Christmas for Kids LIVE tour!

‘Chrimblesense’ is a fully interactive, multi-sensory exploration of Christmas (‘Chrimble’). Two friendly characters, Frosty and Joy, guide our audience through the joys of 'Chrimble' using music, textiles, light stimuli & instruments. The show has a flexible child-led framework: sections can be extended, repeated or shortened guided by our audience's responses. We toured the show to 63 children's hospice and SEND school venues across the South East, North East & North West of England throughout the 2024 festive season.

“It was beautifully and thoughtfully presented. The best show for children with complex needs I have seen in 30 years plus of working in this area.”

- Department Head, SEND School, South East

About 'Chrimblesense' from our audiences:

100% of audience surveyed said the child in their care enjoyed the show and found it engaging

99% felt the show had a positive impact on the wellbeing of the child in their care, as well as their own

A Free Digital Sensory Series

Phoebe’s Festive Favourites was our fifth Christmas for Kids digital show, a magazine-style children's show delivered in six episodes. Loveable puppet Phoebe shares her favourite elements of Christmas with the audience. Each episode features a song and sensory activities to be facilitated live. The show was accompanied by a resource e-pack guiding parents, teachers and carers on how to facilitate the sensory moments wherever they were, as well as suggested further learning and play exploration.

The show reunited a team who have produced four previous Christmas for Kids digital shows, reaching over 23,000 people. Phoebe’s Festive Favourites was available to stream throughout the 2024 festive period (from 11 November to 10 January) and was offered to SEND schools, children’s hospices, community groups, hospitals and families across the UK.

"There are so many barriers to the pupils in my class attending live Christmas performances - this enables them to experience it in a way that is designed for them, alongside their peers."

- Teacher, SEND School, North East

About our digital show, 'Phoebe's Festive Favourites':

100% of audience surveyed felt the digital show had a positive impact on the wellbeing of the child in their care, and they found it engaging.

100% of audience surveyed found the resource packs easy to follow and felt they made the show more interactive

Feedback

This image is of a puppet figgy pudding running away from 3 puppets and 1 lady. The lady has a red elf tshirt and hat on. The lady, the boy puppet with black hair and the girl puppet with yellow hair are stood on a big dinner table with christmas crackers, red wine and 2 candle sticks on. There is a giant santa mug on the dining table and in the santa mug is a pink monkey puppet.

"It made a positive difference to us. We haven't seen such an accessible show before. It made my daughter feel understood and cared for, and like she belonged."

- Parent of child with additional needs, C4K Digital show

"It makes a huge difference to the children and families that they're able to come to a familiar environment to have a one on one show."

- Carer at Shooting Star Hospice,

C4K In-person show

This is an image of a boy with yellow hair showing a red light to a purple puppet. The boy is sat in a wheelchair with an ipad on his lap, to the left of the boy is a lady with yellow hair watching the boy. The purple puppet is looking closely at the red light the boy is holding in his hand. The boy is looking at the puppet watching his light.

This is an image of a person with brown hair holding a white fan and blowing piece of white tissue paper up in the air. The white tissue paper is blowing up in the air and looks like pieces of snow. The person is wearing a shiny gold sequined jacket.

"The Christmas sensory story is the highlight of our festive season. Child X who is profoundly deaf enjoys watching and being part of this fun, exciting, interactive story. It enables her to enjoy a story with her siblings without losing interest. As her Mum I've loved and cherished watching her reactions and interactions every year."

- Parent at Alexander Devine Children's Hospice, C4K In-person show

Gallery

This image is of a boy in a pram stacking the head on an elf toy. The boy has yellow hair and is wearing a green and white Christmas hat.

This image is of a red, yellow and blue bird puppet and a girl puppet with yellow hair stood behind a red table. On the table is a pile of oranges, carrots, potatoes and Brussel sprouts.

This image is of 2 children dressed in blue school jumpers. Both have scarves, ribbons and bubble wrap loosely hanging around their necks. The child close to the camera is holding 2 lights with red and orange cellophane wrapped around them, they look like small glowing fires.

This image is of a man dressed in a red elf outfit. The man has a red hat on his head and is holding a whistle in both hands. The man looks like he is sitting on a big bookshelf with a round window behind him.

This is an image of a girl covered in wrapping paper, she looks like a Christmas present. The girl is laying on the floor and is wrapped in white and blue tissue paper. The girl has a big red metallic bow above her head and she looks very happy and proud.

This is an image of a lady with red hair holding some white pieces of tissue paper. The lady is holding a fan which is blowing the tissue paper up into the air. The lady looks excited by the paper and is showing it to a child in front of her.

This image is of a boy and lady playing with wrapping paper. The boy is covered in tissue papers and looks like he is hiding. The lady has red hair and is holding out a piece of green tissue paper which the boy is feeling with his hand.

This images is of boxes and bags on a wooden floor. The boxes are all open and we can see wrapping paper, fluffy fabric and white fluffy snowballs. There is a blue fabric bag with a white patch sewn on it. The patch has the Makaton symbol for cold and the word "Frosty" sewn onto it.

This image is of a boy with a red and green elf hat holding an elf toy. The boy is wearing a blue school jumper and has bubble wrap and ribbons loosely hanging around his neck. The boy is looking very intensely at the model elf toy head.

This image is of stage, on the stage is 3 sheets of white fabric attached to black poled. The white fabric is reflecting lots of different blue lights, it looks like waves are moving on the fabric. To the left of the fabric there are actors holding fabric and a light in front of members of the audience.

This image is of a girl puppet with yellow hair standing behind a table. The puppet is holding a silver sparkly pencil with a love heart on top and is writing on a notepad. Behind the puppet is a colourful living room.

This image is of a person blowing bubbles, the person is wearing a shiny gold sequined jacked and a red and white Christmas hat. Behind the person are yellow, orange, red, blue and white ribbon strung up like bunting.

Connect with Christmas for Kids:

"Every year we are blown away when we receive this opportunity, as we all look forward to this event. The performers are just amazing with how they deliver the show, and all the extra props that are provided to enable the children to be involved with the performance. It makes a huge difference to the children and families that they are able to come to a familiar environment to have a one on one show, and this has been expressed by parents. So, a HUGE thank you to you for doing what you do for us at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, and keep doing the great work you do.”

- Senior Care Leader, Shooting Star Christopher's