We've done creative Bar Mitzvah centerpieces for many years for a variety of themes. We often create centerpieces for a "Favorite Things" theme, where each table reflects a hobby or interest of the celebrant.

For this event, we had a fun and challenging opportunity to make centerpieces for a very sweet boy with autism. He has a diverse set of hobbies and favorite things, including travel, chocolate, gymnastics, penguins, Dr. Seuss, and much more.

We learned a lot about designing decor and lighting for an autism-friendly event. Here are some key points that made this event a success:

• Light Levels: The overall light level in the room should not be too low. We used colored uplighting around the room to introduce color, and pin spotting to highlight the centerpieces. We also used the in-house lighting, which was dimmable, to create a light level that's comfortable but not too bright.

Small, moving sculptural elements with graphics for a gymnastics themed centerpiece

• Kinetic Elements: Each centerpiece should be safe to touch and interact with. When children communicate less verbally, they experience things more kinetically. We chose elements that were safe to touch and play with, and included moving parts to make the centerpieces more experiential. The guests loved walking around each table, taking in the details that make each centerpiece special.

Interactive mini games on a rotating base for a basketball theme centerpiece

• Color and Variety: We used a wide variety of colors to make the tabletops festive and fun, and more appealing to children. Traditional centerpieces are often very cohesive, and we went in the opposite direction to make them as individually unique as possible.

A colorful representation of international travel

• Creativity: His interests were not only unique, but also very specific. For example, he loves one specific type of interactive fountains. They're the kind you find at boardwalk amusement areas where water comes up from holes in the ground. We used a variety of materials to convey this concept without using water. We thoroughly enjoyed finding ways to visually represent these interests.

Our interpretation of boardwalk-style fountains with fiber optic accents

We so enjoyed the opportunity to create such meaningful decor to celebrate a family's very special day. We look forward to participating in autism-friendly events in the future.

Here are more photos of our centerpiece creations:

Computers theme centerpiece with truss elements and a holographic base for a fun, futuristic feel

A sand castle, driftwood, family beach photos, and decorative accents for a beach theme centerpiece

Classic biplane style airplanes with cloud accents

Cats are the mitzvah boy's favorite animals, so we created a playful "cats in a tree" centerpiece

The guest of honor loves chocolate, specifically nonpareils, also known as Sno-Caps. We had lots of fun creating custom extra-large nonpareils to represent his favorite candy.

This fun glowing lantern, combined with images and figurines, represented Dr. Seuss, the celebrant's favorite author

Large penguins and tiny penguins on a snowy mountain created a fun centerpiece that guests can touch and play with

The family had recently taken a safari trip, so we gathered our safari animals to represent their vacation experience.

Details of our gorgeous animal figurines

This interactive basketball centerpiece has a rotating foundation with four mini basketball games for guests to play. The guest of honor loves basketball, but it was emphasized that he loves playing it, not watching it on TV. We made sure that this … — This interactive basketball centerpiece has a rotating foundation with four mini basketball games for guests to play. The guest of honor loves basketball, but it was emphasized that he loves playing it, not watching it on TV. We made sure that this centerpiece reflected that.

Details of the moving elements of the elevator themed centerpiece

We captured the motion of a tennis ball by creating a 3D tennis ball sculpture, complete with rackets as accents

Horton is one of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, so we included him in our Dr. Seuss themed centerpiece

Details of our cat centerpiece with autumn leaf accents

Fiber optic details and "water bead" accents on our fountain centerpiece — Fiber optic details and "water bead" accents on our fountain centerpiece

A huge thank you to Rich Schaub Photography for sharing such great photos.

Location: Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple • New Brunswick, New Jersey
Planner: Joan Glenn, 6 Degrees of Celebration
Photography: Rich Schaub Photography
Centerpieces, banners, room decor and lighting: Eggsotic Events • New Jersey & NYC