It’s Playtime!

Variety in Ontario Introduces Children in Motion (TM) to Vaughan "We love this propgram," says an enthusiastic Lillian Wagman. She is talking about Children in Motion, now offered in Vaughan, Ont., through Variety on the Road, a new initiative of Variety in Ontario. Lillian has two sons who are autistic, Michael, eight, and David, six, and she is especially pleased that she can have both her youngsters in the program at the same time. “I love that siblings and able-bodied friends can attend the program together. It really is inclusion.”

Children in Motion is an activity class that incorporates recreational and sports activities for young people between the ages of three and 12. Classes are adapted to the abilities of the children involved. Until this year, Children in Motion was available only at the Variety Village site in Scarborough, Ont. However, since January, Variety on the Road has made the program available at the Garnet A. Williams Community Centre in Thornhill and most recently at Vaughan’s Chancellor Community Centre.

Parents of children with disabilities often have difficulty finding fitness programs that are open to their sons and daughters. Like all families, they are concerned about their children’s health, physical activity and social interaction, but don’t really have many options when it comes to public programs. Children in Motion is the ideal program for the whole family and promotes siblings of all abilities participating and playing together.

All children have the opportunity to exercise and develop their skills in a safe, fun and inclusive environment. Balance, co-ordination, agility and flexibility are but a few of the skills developed in the sessions.

Since Michael and David began the program, Lillian has noticed an increase in their ability to discover and try new things. “The gymnastics equipment is something they rarely have the ability to try because they don’t go to gymnastics class,” she said. “They have the ability to touch it and see it. They’re supported as they play on it in a gentle environment, and now they try new things.”

Lillian believes it’s good for her sons to listen to a new instructor. “We always have the same teacher or therapist at home. So it’s a chance for them to go outside their zone – meet new children, listen to different adults and try to follow their instructions.”

Lillian highly recommends the program. “I have e-mailed information about it to 45 friends,” she said emphatically. “I understand the program is going to expand into other communities, and I think that is wonderful.”

Variety on the Road gives youngsters with disabilities access to a wide range of dynamic sports and recreation programs and equipment to help improve their physical and developmental well-being. Variety programs promote inclusion, so youngsters with disabilities and their brothers, sisters and friends can attend and participate right along with them.

Variety has more than 25 years’ experience helping young people of all abilities achieve their full potential. “We are recognized as an authority in developing and delivering inclusive sports and recreational programs at Variety Village, Variety in Ontario’s flagship project in Scarborough,” says Archie Allison, Director, Variety on the Road. “Now we can send our instructors and adapted equipment to other municipalities to promote access, awareness and adapted activities.”

Since Variety is a non-profit organization that relies on many volunteers to deliver its programs, it needs the support of local communities. If a community is interested in starting Children in Motion with Variety on the Road, people living there can call to set up an appointment. After deciding on programming segments for Children in Motion, the community is requested to find an available and accessible community centre in their area (with a pool if they are interested in the aquatics segment).

Variety asks the community to create an advisory committee to help find a sponsor or sponsors to support the program and to work with Variety on promoting it in the local community. Communities are also asked to recruit volunteers to assist with the program and work with Variety to recruit participants.

The program will be offered in three 11-week sessions per year. Each class is 55 minutes long. The fee per child is $7.50 per class.

Together, we can inspire children of all abilities to hope, dream, learn and grow.

For more information about Variety on the Road, please contact Archie Allison at 416-699-7167 ext. 236 or email aallison@varietyvillage. on.ca. To learn more about Variety —The Children’s Charity, please visit http://www.varietyontario.ca