We hope you are settling in well and have adjusted to any changes of routines with your families. Perhaps you are working from home, perhaps you are helping your child or children to complete school work from home. Maybe you are looking for ways to entertain your preschooler, or find activities for the whole family to enjoy. You might even be a young adult, looking for something fun to do!
We thought it might be helpful to share a few resources that might be useful to you and your loved ones. There are some great ideas here for staying entertained and active, learning something new, and accessing supports if you need them. If you are looking for additional information to support your child or youth, please reach out to us. We can work on solutions together.
Click the tabs below to browse between our main resources areas: Children & Families / Parents & Guardians / Financial & Basic Needs.
Innisfil ideaLab
Activities, adventures and explorations for children and families brought to you by the Innisfil Idea Lab!
Toilet Learning
Information about toilet-training offered in a very friendly, and personable approach.
Nixie and Nimbo
2 minute videos to help children who are facing fears. Also offered in Spanish.
Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve
Information, resources, and at home activities to support exploring Ontario’s largest freshwater archipelago!
Barefoot Books
Find activities, read-a-louds and lots of cool new ideas at Barefoot Books.
Comfort, Play and Teach
Resources designed to communicate key developmental information and strategies for supporting healthy development of infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Regulation and Routine
It’s important to maintain structure and routine, but where do you start? Find answers in this toolkit.
Having Fun in Quarantine
Be inspired by a list of ideas for some fun to be had with the whole family.
Kids Gardening
Activities and crafts that explore the garden. Why not design a sensory garden!
Mindfulness for Kids
Explore 5 mindfulness and meditation apps geared toward helping a younger audience to relax.
At Home With Nature
Look through the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority webpage for some e-Learning on nature, ecology, and cultural heritage.
My COVID DisabilityQ
CanChild, the Kids Brain Health Network, and the CHILD-BRIGHT Network are happy to announce the launch of My COVID Disability Q.
EarlyON Resources
Our EarlyON page offers great resources for early literacy, child development and more!
WeeTalkers
Workshops, ideas and resources for supporting toddler and preschooler communication.
Easy Craft Ideas Without the Purchase
Explore some craft ideas that you can create with materials you likely have at hand in your home.
Scholastic Learn At Home
Log in to watch the virtual shark tank, and explore activities for children.
Activities for Preschoolers
List of free choice activities that can be easily presented to your preschooler.
Down Syndrome Resource Foundation
Videos and visuals for working on skills while you wait for therapy supports. Suitable for all children. Check out the people games!
PBS Kids
Games, printables, science experiments and activities for children that can be filtered by age, learning domain and interest.
Play and Learn
Excellent activities and resources, arranged by age and skill. Brought to you by McMaster University and University of Toronto.
Educational TED Talks for Students
Learn while you watch riveting videos. Who says education can’t be fun?
Physically Distant Birthday Ideas
Chances are you know someone with an upcoming birthday. Keep it special with these ideas for celebrating as a family, or check out some ideas for virtually celebrating a birthday.
Movement Songs
Fun songs, activities and movement games to play with your toddler or preschooler.
Ripley's Aquarium
Log in to watch the virtual shark tank, and explore activities for children.
Virtual Vacations
Take a field trip to worldly destinations from the comfort of your home.
Youth Wellness Hub
Located in Midland, and with some virtual resources as well. See their monthly calendar of planned activities.
Teens Health & COVID-19
Learn about social distancing and what you can do to keep yourself, and others, safe.
Best YouTube Channels for Tweens
Explore this list of really cool YouTube channels to watch.
Orillia Public Library
Find online programs and resources for teens at the Orillia library.
Card Games for One
Grab a deck (or more) of cards and learn some single-player games from this list.
GeoCaching
One quick download of an app and you can turn any outing into a treasure hunt.
Learn To Cook
Food Network has a list of easy recipes for the novice chef to develop their skills.
School Mental Health Ontario
Activities and information to support your school aged child with their social-emotional mental health.
Podcasts for Tweens and Teens
Check out this list of ten of the best podcasts for youth. Comedy, games, science, history, geek; there’s something on this list for everyone, so choose the one that most interests you!
Instagram Art Challenges
Browse some artist accounts for some fun daily group art projects.
Yoga
Move your body while calming your mind with these free yoga channel recommendations.
Zumba
Do you love to dance? Join along to your favourite songs and learn some new moves while being active and having fun.
Pharaoh Ramesses VI
Take a 3D walking tour through a pharaoh’s tomb! Click and explore just like taking a stroll with Google Maps.
Virtual Vacation to Niagara Falls
Take a Virtual Reality tour of the waterfalls, zip line, Hornblower cruise, and more!
Parenting Survival Guide
Children’s Mental Health Ontario has resources for Parents of children who are struggling with mental illness.
Helping Kids Get Used to Masks
Read some tips and tricks for encouraging your child(ren) to mask up in public places.
CTN Family Guide
Browse the Children’s Treatment Network’s Online Resource Centre for information from finance to fun to mental health and more.
Respite Resources
View Support Your Way’s COVID 19 page to learn about options for respite during the pandemic and see how other parents have been managing their respite.
Kerry's Place Portal
Learn about ASD, tips and strategies for managing behaviour, and access printable resources.
Children's Inclusion Support Services
The importance of routines in helping prepare children for language learning and for school.
Managing Anxiety During Re-Opening
Some strategies to help you stay calm, with so many difficult decisions to make as things re-open.
Exceptional Parenting Podcast
Exceptional Parenting Podcast introducing a sensory series called, The Sensory System and Your Child – what sensory processing is, how it affects behaviour, and how to address it.
Parents and Parents To Be
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has put together a great resource for Parents and Parents To Be to help answer any questions and concerns you may have related to COVID-19.
Back To School Recommendations
Review what the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital recommends for Children with Special Needs transitioning back to school.
New Path
Connect to children’s mental health services, behaviour coaching and supports in Simcoe County.
Self Compassion Exercises
Choose your mix and create a practice for improving your self-compassion skills with expert Dr. Kristin Neff.
Novel Coronavirus
Visit the SMDHU COVID-19 information page for access to the self-assessment tool, check lab results, and much more information to help keep you safe.
My New Life Podcast
Support for parents to understand early learning and development of their infants and toddlers.
Virtual Respite
View the monthly calendar and register for online respite sessions for your child or youth at a minimal cost.
Positive Parenting in Uncertain Times
E-magazine brought to you by Triple P Positive Parenting Program, with tips, information and resources for supporting your child during COVID-19.
About Kids Health
Hospital for Sick Children’s vast resources for supporting your family through COVID-19.
Unique
Check out Unique’s guide for families, containing lots of Covid-19 related information, guidance, ideas, resources and sources of help. Includes education, health, therapies, activities and much more
Bounce Back
Delivered over the phone with a coach and through online videos, adults and youth get access to tools that will support them on their path to mental wellness.
Community Action Program for Children
Access supports for lower income families with children under 6.
Facebook Family Network
A Facebook group designed to connect families caring for individuals with disabilities.
HopeForWellness
Immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention for all Indigenous peoples across Canada (available in some Indigenous languages). Toll-free: 1-855-242-3310.
E-MentalHealth
Visit the crisis and emergency section to find various crisis services in your community.
Support Your Children and Yourself
See what Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child recommends for successfully managing through this outbreak.
211
Information and referral for community, government, social and health services, including mental health resources across Ontario.
World Health Organization
Loads of resources and visual information on structure and routine, managing behaviour and staying positive with your children.
Access Inclusion
Short webinars for parents on children testing limits and anxiety, along with other resources.
Support for Families
Re-apply for one-time funding to help offset the costs during the 2020-2021 school year.
Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities
Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities – Temporary changes to admissible expenses.
Canada Emergency Response Benefit
If you have stopped working because of COVID-19, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) may provide you with temporary income support.
OSAP Student Loans
Government of Ontario is temporarily deferring loan payments and interest accrual for OSAP borrowers.
Get Support For Families
Learn about funding that families can apply for if they have children who are not in school or child care because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
SSAH Expenses
View the updated list with changes to eligible expenses due to program closures
Passport Expenses
View the updated list with changes to eligible expenses due to program closures.
ODSP/Ontario Works
Do you urgently need financial help because of COVID-19? If you are not already receiving support from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program, you can apply for emergency assistance online.
Support for Families
Apply for one-time funds for each child to help offset the costs of learning materials to use at home.