WINTER PARK, Fla. – The holiday rush is here and while exciting – it can certainly be overwhelming.
Malls are packed, holiday music is likely on full blast and your money is probably flying out the window!
So, a Winter Park family is hoping their unique holiday display called the Lyman Christmas Village, can help calm some of that chaos with a relaxing experience that offers something for everyone.
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The village is a pretty, magical place, but you won’t it find on Google maps, because it’s in Jennifer Lyman’s living room.
The expansive “labor of love” as she describes it, started nearly a decade ago, as a way to bond with her mother, but has transformed into a full blown experience she shares with students from both the schools she and her mother run; The Lyman School and Baldwin Oaks Academy.
The massive, indoor holiday village is comprised of hundreds of unique miniatures, vintage figurines and hand-crafted decorative accents collected for the better part of a decade, eating up a sizable chunk of her living room.
Here are just a few of the cool things included:
- Carousel
- School
- Rural scenes
- Downtown
- Casino
- School
- Model train
- City hall
- Waterfront
- Industrial area
Lyman said she understands how overwhelming and stressful holidays can be for adults and kids alike, which is why she began inviting her school community inside her home to experience the display.
It offers a more controlled environment with friendly faces, as an option for some of her out-of-the-box thinkers who learn differently.
“A lot of the kids do have sensory overload - going to the mall at this time and sitting on Santa’s lap. It can be a little bit scary for some kids,” Lyman explained.
To achieve the completed look, takes Lyman about thirty hours, spanning a week. She starts in October and leaves it up through the new year, adding sweet treats and even giving families an ornament to take home with them at the end!