Therapeutic Recreation

Grandview Kids Director of Clinical Services, Leslie Suite, commemorates National Therapeutic Recreation Month.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the Grandview Kids Therapeutic Recreation team, as February is National Therapeutic Recreation Month. The Therapeutic Recreation team has taken on adversity over the last year with commendable poise.

Recreation Therapists (RTs) at Grandview Kids work with children, youth and families to improve physical, emotional and cognitive well-being through activity-based interventions. RT sessions can take place 1:1 or in group settings, virtually or in-person. RTs use play, recreation participation and leisure activities to support overall physical and mental health.

Normally, the Therapeutic Recreation (TR) staff offers a variety of social group activities. Some of these activities include preschool play groups, swimming lessons, Tae-Kwon-Do classes, physical literacy groups, Parasport programs and several more. Running these activities was a large part of the program’s day-to-day regimen and it is clear that families deeply miss this aspect of TR.

It is no secret that getting to work with clients, in groups, face-to-face, has always been at the core of the work RTs do. However, like everyone in 2020, the TR staff had to adjust to the new normal. They have recently expanded their team and were able to quickly adapt, beginning to offer tele-practice social groups, and continuing to offer 1:1 in-person sessions for clients who were unable to participate virtually. The TR team has worked determinedly to develop new games and activities to adhere to the new COVID protocols and parameters. Their work does not go unnoticed, as the time RTs dedicated to adapting their programs and creating new activities has only improved the day-to-day lives of the children and youth they serve. 

Thank you, to all of our RTs, for all that you do to help make Grandview Kids a welcoming environment and an adaptable point-of-care for all families and caregivers who visit us.

To learn more about what Recreation Therapy looks like at Grandview Kids, click here.

To learn more about the Canadian organizations that are supporting TR Awareness Month, please visit the links provided below:

• The Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association
• Therapeutic Recreation Ontario

Sincerely,

Leslie Suite, Director of Clinical Services

Written by by Grandview Kids Recreation Therapist, Alicia (Discipline Lead)

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If your family values recreation and leisure activities, or you are looking for ways to get your children active, the registration fees can be daunting, especially if you have a child who may require variation or a number of children with varying interests and abilities. Check out this chart to see if you are eligible for funding support through private organizations or through your municipality. There are many options for families who qualify for low-income, and there are some that are based on diagnosis only, which may not require proof of low income/financial hardship.

If you are considering Jumpstart funding, but do not quite meet the cutoff, contact your municipal contact and explain your current circumstance to see if they are able to approve your application in person. This decision is made based on available funds and family-specific circumstances.

Contact your Recreation Therapist or Service Navigation if you have questions.

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• Being a student during a pandemic at Grandview Kids
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Welcome to the end of 2020! The focus this year has been on monitoring your family’s physical health and taking every precaution to protect it. Unfortunately, this means that we likely have been under a huge amount of stress. Safety measures and closures have resulted in the loss of many of the activities that help us unwind and connect with others. It is important to take some time at the end of the year to engage in activities that help us relax, reconnect, and recharge.

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The Grandview Kids Therapeutic Recreation Team has put together a large Activity Package (31 pages!) for families to access throughout the Holidays and beyond! We hope that this package chock-full of activities helps keep your family busy and entertained.

Click the link below to download the package:

The warmer weather is finally here! Grandview Recreation Therapy Assistant, Maddy Saunders, has created some activity suggestions that you can do outside as a family. These activities will provide an opportunity for your family to get outside and enjoy the warm weather while being active, creative and most importantly having FUN together!

Activity List (See pictures below)

Outdoor Movie Theatre/Drive-In
Backyard Water Park
Backyard or Neighbourhood Picnic
Backyard Fort
Treasure Hunt
Neighbourhood Zoologist
Outdoor Animal Yoga
Summer Sports

Outdoor Movie Theatre/Drive-In

Instead of staying inside to watch a movie – design your own outdoor movie theatre! You will need a place to sit, pillows and blankets to keep comfortable, an extension cord, and a T.V. or laptop. If you have a projector and a white sheet you could make a big movie screen.
To make this event more exciting – decorate seats/chairs as cars using cardboard and craft supplies. You can make your very own drive-in movie theatre in your backyard. Pick a Disney movie or a family favourite to watch with popcorn, chips, and candy snacks.

Backyard Water Park

With pools and water parks unavailable – try turning your backyard into a splash park! Some items to add could be a hose, sprinklers, small blow-up pools, buckets of water, water balloons, and sponges. Have the kids jump through the sprinkler, play duck-duck-goose with wet sponges, or dip their toes in the pool. Use slip and slides and water toys if you have those to add some extra fun!

Backyard or Neighbourhood Picnic

To make lunchtime more exciting – take it outside! You will need a basket/cooler to hold food/drinks, plates/utensils/napkins, a garbage bag, and your choice of lunch and snacks. Simple lunch foods and snacks to take outside for your picnic include sandwiches, water bottles/juice boxes, cut up fruits and vegetables, and chips. Get creative and try different foods while going on your backyard picnic!

Backyard Fort

A fun activity that can be played indoors or outdoors is building forts! Use items that can be found around the house/backyard such as chairs, blankets, pillows, cushions, tables and other items to make your fort. Add fairy lights to make your fort even more magical!

Treasure Hunt

Ahoy Mateys! Pretend you are pirates on the hunt for treasure! Before starting, set up clues ahead of time that leads you to the ‘treasure’. To start, give your children a clue that will lead them to the next clue. For example, “Go to the place that keeps your food cold”. The children will then go to the fridge/freezer to find the next clue and so on. The last clue will then lead them to their treasure (toy, snack, fun prize, etc.). You can do these inside of your home or outside. For extra fun have your children dress up as pirates/explorers and make the treasure hunts themed!

Neighbourhood Zoologist

Want to make walks or hikes more engaging for your children? Have them take a notebook and pencil to write down every animal you see in your neighbourhood. Your children can be zoologists and see how many animals they can find. Look for dogs, birds, squirrels, bunnies, etc. To add extra fun – bring binoculars, crayons to draw the animals, magnifying glasses, etc.

Outdoor Animal Yoga

Pretend you are your favourite animals while doing some exercises and stretches outside! This is a great activity for all ages as you can modify the difficulty of the yoga poses based on ability. Some yoga poses to try can be dog, cat, butterfly, flamingo, snake, frog, etc. Get creative and have your children choose what animals to do!

Summer Sports

There are a lot of fun outdoor sports and activities to play while enjoying the summer sun! Games such as Bocce Ball, Frisbee, Corn Hole, Horse Shoes and Ladder Ball are great family games to play outside. Some other activities that can be done outside are obstacle courses, chalk, bike rides, soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, road hockey, and many other sports! Work on increasing your skills while getting some exercise outdoors!

Use caution while outside. Wear hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen while staying hydrated!

The warmer weather is finally here! Grandview Recreation Therapy Assistant, Maddy, has created some activity suggestions that you can do outside as a family. These activities will provide an opportunity for your family to get outside and enjoy the warm weather while being active, creative and most importantly having FUN together!

Activity List (See pictures below)

Outdoor Movie Theatre/Drive-In
Backyard Water Park
Backyard or Neighbourhood Picnic
Backyard Fort
Treasure Hunt
Neighbourhood Zoologist
Outdoor Animal Yoga
Summer Sports
 

Outdoor Movie Theatre/Drive-In

Instead of staying inside to watch a movie – design your own outdoor movie theatre! You will need a place to sit, pillows and blankets to keep comfortable, an extension cord, and a T.V. or laptop. If you have a projector and a white sheet you could make a big movie screen.
To make this event more exciting – decorate seats/chairs as cars using cardboard and craft supplies. You can make your very own drive-in movie theatre in your backyard. Pick a Disney movie or a family favourite to watch with popcorn, chips, and candy snacks.

Backyard Water Park

With pools and water parks unavailable – try turning your backyard into a splash park! Some items to add could be a hose, sprinklers, small blow-up pools, buckets of water, water balloons, and sponges. Have the kids jump through the sprinkler, play duck-duck-goose with wet sponges, or dip their toes in the pool. Use slip and slides and water toys if you have those to add some extra fun!

Backyard or Neighbourhood Picnic

To make lunchtime more exciting – take it outside! You will need a basket/cooler to hold food/drinks, plates/utensils/napkins, a garbage bag, and your choice of lunch and snacks. Simple lunch foods and snacks to take outside for your picnic include sandwiches, water bottles/juice boxes, cut up fruits and vegetables, and chips. Get creative and try different foods while going on your backyard picnic!

Backyard Fort

A fun activity that can be played indoors or outdoors is building forts! Use items that can be found around the house/backyard such as chairs, blankets, pillows, cushions, tables and other items to make your fort. Add fairy lights to make your fort even more magical!

Treasure Hunt

Ahoy Mateys! Pretend you are pirates on the hunt for treasure! Before starting, set up clues ahead of time that leads you to the ‘treasure’. To start, give your children a clue that will lead them to the next clue. For example, “Go to the place that keeps your food cold”. The children will then go to the fridge/freezer to find the next clue and so on. The last clue will then lead them to their treasure (toy, snack, fun prize, etc.). You can do these inside of your home or outside. For extra fun have your children dress up as pirates/explorers and make the treasure hunts themed!

Neighbourhood Zoologist

Want to make walks or hikes more engaging for your children? Have them take a notebook and pencil to write down every animal you see in your neighbourhood. Your children can be zoologists and see how many animals they can find. Look for dogs, birds, squirrels, bunnies, etc. To add extra fun – bring binoculars, crayons to draw the animals, magnifying glasses, etc.

Outdoor Animal Yoga

Pretend you are your favourite animals while doing some exercises and stretches outside! This is a great activity for all ages as you can modify the difficulty of the yoga poses based on ability. Some yoga poses to try can be dog, cat, butterfly, flamingo, snake, frog, etc. Get creative and have your children choose what animals to do!

Summer Sports

There are a lot of fun outdoor sports and activities to play while enjoying the summer sun! Games such as Bocce Ball, Frisbee, Corn Hole, Horse Shoes and Ladder Ball are great family games to play outside. Some other activities that can be done outside are obstacle courses, chalk, bike rides, soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, road hockey, and many other sports! Work on increasing your skills while getting some exercise outdoors!

Use caution while outside. Wear hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen while staying hydrated!