The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Workshop nurtures creative spirit
A special edition of a holiday tradition at Mentor’s Wildwood Cultural Center Dec. 9 brought some joy to the hearts and minds of area families and children with special needs.
According to Nick Standering, manager of Wildwood Cultural Center, the venue has hosted the Santa’s Wild Workshop in the Woods event for four years, with a two-hour feature especially for children who have special needs for the last two.
“The idea is that we wanted to create a program for children who may not be able to participate in other seasonal programs, at which they might not necessarily be comfortable,” Standering said.
He explained the children were divided into four groups, each participating simultaneously in a variety of Christmas-themed activities.
Each group was led by an elf in projects like baking cookies with Mrs. Claus in the kitchen of the property’s 1908 manor house, listening to Santa Claus read a story in the living room, making a wooden gingerbread toy in the basement workshop and watching “a beautiful train display featuring an O-guage train provided by the Ohio Toy Train Society,” Standering said.
Decked out for the yuletide season, the manor house looked – and felt – like it really could be the home of the Jolly Old Elf and the kids there thought so, too.
“One of them said: ‘It feels like Santa and Mrs. Claus’ house,” said facepainter Janie Walland, who teaches children’s art classes at Wildwood Cultural Center. “And I was like: ‘It really does feel like that!”
Willoughby mom Leah Smart, who brought her
“I think it’s a place where they can come and physically make something without any intimidation or hesitation whatsoever. They just kind of lose themselves in what they’re doing and sometimes that unleashes creativity. I mean, you can’t really be creative if you feel intimidated.” — Frank Krupa, Mentor.
three-year-old daughter, Journey, agreed.
“I love this building,” Smart said just after she
and Journey, who is autistic, finished making their
gingerbread-man craft. “It looks like it could really be Santa’s house.”
She said she also loved the experience the place provided her and Journey.
“She loved the painting. She definitely had a blast painting. And the glitter she loved the glitter!” she said, adding that it’s not everywhere she can just let Journey be Journey.
“It’s really hard to find places that are friendly for her. She gets distracted. She runs around the room. And people will look at me, like, ‘Don’t you know how to control your kid?’ But they’re OK with that here,” she said. “It’s very hard to find a place like that - that accommodates special needs. So I’m very thankful for this.”
She said it was a good experience for the children involved, too.
“It gives the kids a chance to socialize with other kids, too, and just be themselves,” she said.
Frank Krupa, the Mentor resident who was the elf assigned to the Smarts’ group, said from his perspective the event seemed almost like therapy.
“I think it’s a place where they can come and physically make something without any intimidation or hesitation whatsoever,” he said. “They just kind of lose themselves in what they’re doing and sometimes that unleashes creativity. I mean, you can’t really be creative if you feel intimidated.”
Mentor mom Katie Cudzilo confirmed Krupa’s thoughts on the event’s therapeutic attributes.
“I just really appreciate that they offer something just for special-needs children,” said Cudzilo, who brought 6-year-old son Ben and Bradley, 9, who is autistic. “It’s very welcoming and the slow pace is very appropriate for Bradley. There are other places with Christmas programs. But they would be very hard for Bradley. The calm setting here is perfect for his needs.”