The Petite Princess Company hosted its first event specifically tailored to children with special needs and abilities May 12 in Denham Springs.
The two-session event featured four of the most popular princess characters on their roster: The Little Mermaid, an Island Princess, Beauty and the New Orleans Princess. While the company is known for its large Royal Princess Balls hosted in the Old State Capitol and Holiday Teas held at the Old Governor's Mansion, this event was the first of its kind and required lots of research and planning, according to a news release.
"We first sought information in the form of detailed surveys sent out to parents about their children's likes and dislikes, abilities, favorite characters and activities they would enjoy," said Venessa Lewis, owner of the Petite Princess Company. "From there we developed themed sensory activities to match the characters. For example, children played with sandboxes and bubbles with the Little Mermaid and the Island Princess and then had a tea party with Beauty or rolled dough with the New Orleans Princess."
The sessions sizes were capped at 15 children each to allow for maximum one-on-one time with the characters while focusing on each child's needs. There was a "cozy corner," which was a giant mushroom tent filled with books, fidgets and pillows that children could escape to if at any point they became overwhelmed during the event.
"Inclusion is intentional," said Tessa Walters, mother of attendee Piper. "It's about removing the barriers so that everyone can participate.