Families with children with special needs are always looking for new, exciting activities that are inclusive for their children. Parents don’t need to look too hard or travel too far outside of their city to frequent activities that will help their special needs child develop their motor skills or keep active through movement. Attending parents often want to participate in their child’s activity to engage with them and have fun.

Nature walks in local Parks or Centre de la Nature
Keeping children busy with both body and mind in the great outdoors is a great way to get rid of pent up energy. Parents can collect fallen leaves with their children, look for rocks or sticks and observe birds and animals in the nature park. When the snow starts to fall, make footprint-shaped figures in the snow and ask your child to identify their shape or create an object of their own. When there is enough sticky snow on the ground, involve your child in a snowman building activity by helping them roll snowballs into figures in the snow.

For Indoor Activities
Caden’s Lighthouse is Montreal’s first public Snoezelen multi-sensory indoor space that offers a safe environment for children on the autism spectrum. This facility offers multi-sensory rooms catering to occupational therapy, children with learning disabilities or even those suffering from behavioural issues. The space has rooms with strategic lighting, calming scents, massage and vibrations and comfortable seating areas.

Music & Art
Being creative is also a great outlet for special needs children. Spending time creating art work by painting and drawing can also help someone better express themselves. Music therapy can also stimulate a child’s sensory development through play and by listening to instrumental sounds. L’Orchestre symphonique de Laval has offered relaxed performances that are not overpowering and are sensory-friendly. Parents can find many shops or local businesses that offer services or one-time sessions in ceramics, painting, musical therapy and dance.

Movie Theatres that are Sensory-friendly/Mobility
Cineplex movie theatres, (Colossus Laval) provides a safe environment for families with children who are looking for sensory-friendly entertainment and who are sensitive to flashing lights. The movie theatre provides showtimes for movies with lower sounds, theatres with the house lights that remain on and 2D projection. Most of these films can be enjoyed by the whole family and have less viewers in the room. This theatre also caters to families with babies with young children and children with mobility restraints.

Amusement Centres and Libraries
Children who enjoy playing in the ball pits can find many activity centres that offer these options with reserved scheduling. Due to the pandemic, there are also lower numbers of people going to these places so it’s a great environment for children who are overly stimulated by noise and crowds. Libraries also offer a quiet, free space for families to choose books and play with board games and puzzles.