'Mom, what can we do this summer?'
By Louise Kinross
A favourite summer spot for Liz Zur’s family is sitting by the wading pool in a park close to their house. “I don't want my children to be separated from their peers, so I seek out venues where we can be with everybody,” she says.
“We know pretty much everyone at the park because we all go to the same school and live on the same street. It's a great way to spend time with friends. We bring a blanket and some snacks, and if someone gets tired, we can go home quickly.”
Zur’s son Nicholas, 10 (middle photo above), has autism, and daughter Vicky, seven (photo right), is on a waitlist to be assessed.
As a family leader, Zur is leading a Parent Support Network workshop at Holland Bloorview on June 10 on fun things to do in Toronto this summer.
For Zur, the main criteria when choosing an activity is whether it's a fit for her whole family. “If you look at something where only a child with a diagnosis can participate, then it's excluding my second child. I look for activities that are accessible for people with various disabilities, and at the same time the siblings can join.”
To brainstorm ideas, check out the City of Toronto’s Festivals and Events Calendar or BlogTo.
“One life hack I found recently, which is quite good, is ChatGPT," Zur says. "I write in a request like ‘What can I do this weekend in the afternoon with two children aged seven and 10 in Toronto?’ It will come back with a bunch of options. You can set parameters like age, day, and distance to the activity, if you want to stay within a certain radius.”
Accessible Playgrounds Ontario, which has a directory and map developed by parent Julie Grant, is a great resource. “We’ve been to some of the ones built by JumpStart and they’re very elaborate with lots of options that are engaging for any child,” Zur says. “Also, the flooring is rubber tire, not wood chip, which works for wheelchairs and is safer and cleaner.”
A few Ontario beaches offer all-terrain wheelchairs and some roll out beach mats that enable kids with wheelchairs and walkers to get to the water. “We all experience mobility issues at some point in our life,” Zur says. “My mother had a stroke and uses a walker, so if we want to go to the beach with the grandparents, this would be very important.”
Zur says Allan Gardens is a free, accessible botanical garden that holds weekly events like a farmer’s market. “There is a fishpond with big goldfish and turtles and the trees have fruit on them like a banana or mango that a child can relate to.” She suggests you call to ask about special weekly events that may not be posted on the website.
Your local library is a great spot for free summer activities for children and teens. “Each library has their own programming, so you need to visit your local library to pick up a schedule,” Zur says. Often, programs are not listed online. “For example, my library has a Lego club every Monday where they serve healthy snacks. When I asked them why it wasn’t featured on the Internet, they said they want to keep these programs for the local community.”
Libraries offer activities for babies, children, teens and parents. “I just picked up the schedule for the Toronto Reference Library and their Youth Hub for teens has crafts like making friendship bracelets, movie nights, a vinyl listening club, and freestyle painting,” Zur says.
In addition to checking out your local library, visit your nearby community centre.
Easter Seals’ Access 2 card enables a support person, which includes a parent, to attend an attraction with a child with a disability for free. Venues participating in Toronto include Ripley’s Aquarium, the Toronto Zoo, Young People’s Theatre, the CN Tower, and Hot Docs. Check the full listing
Presto Perks are discounts at attractions for TTC Presto card holders. For example, you can get 20 per cent off the Dungeons and Dragons Immersive Quest, 25 per cent off Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, and 30 per cent off Toronto Blue Jays home games.
The Toronto Public Library offers tpl: map, a monthly free pass for library cardholders to a variety of attractions. For example, a cardholder and three guests can get free admission to the Royal Ontario Museum.
Relaxed performances include concerts, plays and the ballet where audiences can move around or make noise during a performance. “Relaxed doesn’t mean a reduction in the quality of the performance,” Zur says. “It’s the same choreography and music, but the environment is not as constrained. Make sure to communicate your child’s needs in advance.”
Xenia Concerts offers free adapted concerts “that are enjoyable for the whole family,” Zur says.
She took her son to some relaxed National Ballet of Canada performances, “but I was questioning whether he would enjoy it. On Mother’s Day I got a card that he made in school and on the card he wrote: ‘Mommy, thank you for taking me to the ballet.’ Out of all the things you think might rank higher in a boy’s mind, he chose ballet. That was an interesting performance because they had a sign language interpreter there. My family doesn’t need it, but it was an additional piece of education for my children that there are other languages and sign language is also a language.”
Zur says finding activities that meet your child’s needs is a matter of researching venues in advance and trial and error. She recently took her kids to an art activity designed for autistic kids but found the instructors didn’t understand how to interact with her son. “If you have more than one child, I’d suggest bringing a support person because if one child needs one-to-one supervision, you may be spread a bit thin.”
Extend-A-Family, which works with families with children with developmental disabilities, can help you advocate for your child’s inclusion in community activities. “I just joined," Zur says. "A coordinator meets you in person at your house to learn about your child’s interests and what they’d like to do recreation-wise. They research accessible, low-cost, inclusive activities and help you advocate for your child. They’re very big on inclusion, so they won’t recommend activities that separate disabled and abled kids.”
There’s still time to sign up for Zur’s online workshop at Holland Bloorview on Monday.
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