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.
Activities, adventures and explorations for children and families brought to you by the Innisfil Idea Lab!
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Back-to-School Resources for Families and Educators.
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Information about toilet-training offered in a very friendly, and personable approach.
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2 minute videos to help children who are facing fears. Also offered in Spanish.
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It’s important to maintain structure and routine, but where do you start? Find answers in this toolkit.
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Information on getting outside with your children, and being safe.
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Information, resources, and at home activities to support exploring Ontario’s largest freshwater archipelago!
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Fun videos and activities to promote yoga and mindfulness with children.
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Explore 5 mindfulness and meditation apps geared toward helping a younger audience to relax.
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Resources designed to communicate key developmental information and strategies for supporting healthy development of infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
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Look through the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority webpage for some e-Learning on nature, ecology, and cultural heritage.
A social story about staying healthy brought to you by Autism Speaks.
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Be inspired by a list of ideas for some fun to be had with the whole family.
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The family-friendly version of this classic podcast.
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Our EarlyON page offers great resources for early literacy, child development and more!
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Activities and games for kids and teens; art, history, and culture.
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CanChild, the Kids Brain Health Network, and the CHILD-BRIGHT Network are happy to announce the launch of My COVID Disability Q.
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A podcast led by kids, for kids.
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Workshops, ideas and resources for supporting toddler and preschooler communication.
A library of books, read by celebrities. So fun!
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Explore some craft ideas that you can create with materials you likely have at hand in your home.
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Learn while you watch riveting videos. Who says education can’t be fun?
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Games, stories and activities for Canadian Kids.
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Download and listen to his classic stories.
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List of free choice activities that can be easily presented to your preschooler.
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Ideas for keeping kids active indoors.
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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.
Games, printables, science experiments and activities for children that can be filtered by age, learning domain and interest.
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Log in to watch the virtual shark tank, and explore activities for children.
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Take a field trip to worldly destinations from the comfort of your home.
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Virtual activities to keep active and having fun anytime, anywhere.
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Live cams, resources and activities from the Toronto Zoo.
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Fun songs, activities and movement games to play with your toddler or preschooler.
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Check out what the penguins are up to at the San Diego Zoo!
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Located in Midland, and with some virtual resources as well. See their monthly calendar of planned activities.
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Learn about social distancing and what you can do to keep yourself, and others, safe.
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Explore this list of really cool YouTube channels to watch.
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Find online programs and resources for teens at the Orillia library.
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View the monthly schedule of online events for teens.
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Grab a deck (or more) of cards and learn some single-player games from this list.
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One quick download of an app and you can turn any outing into a treasure hunt.
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Food Network has a list of easy recipes for the novice chef to develop their skills.
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Activities and information to support your school aged child with their social-emotional mental health.
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Tourism Barrie can tell you where to find a hiking trail near you.
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Add focus to a walk in the woods with this list of items to find.
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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!
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Browse some artist accounts for some fun daily group art projects.
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Activities, stories, colouring pages and STEM for kids of all ages.
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Access to online or phone-in counselling and support for youth.
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Move your body while calming your mind with these free yoga channel recommendations.
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Do you love to dance? Join along to your favourite songs and learn some new moves while being active and having fun.
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Take a 3D walking tour through a pharaoh’s tomb! Click and explore just like taking a stroll with Google Maps.
Take a Virtual Reality tour of the waterfalls, zip line, Hornblower cruise, and more!
Choose from a list of meditation videos, and calm your mind.
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List of virtual museum tours available around the world.
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Children’s Mental Health Ontario has resources for Parents of children who are struggling with mental illness.
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Read some tips and tricks for encouraging your child(ren) to mask up in public places.
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Browse the Children’s Treatment Network’s Online Resource Centre for information from finance to fun to mental health and more.
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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.
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Learn about ASD, tips and strategies for managing behaviour, and access printable resources.
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The importance of routines in helping prepare children for language learning and for school.
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Some strategies to help you stay calm, with so many difficult decisions to make as things re-open.
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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.
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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.
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Review what the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital recommends for Children with Special Needs transitioning back to school.
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Connect to children’s mental health services, behaviour coaching and supports in Simcoe County.
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Choose your mix and create a practice for improving your self-compassion skills with expert Dr. Kristin Neff.
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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.
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Support for parents to understand early learning and development of their infants and toddlers.
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View the monthly calendar and register for online respite sessions for your child or youth at a minimal cost.
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E-magazine brought to you by Triple P Positive Parenting Program, with tips, information and resources for supporting your child during COVID-19.
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Helpline for indigenous women available in 14 languages.
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Hospital for Sick Children’s vast resources for supporting your family through COVID-19.
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Free online course in Autism Studies.
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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.
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Access supports for lower income families with children under 6.
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A Facebook group designed to connect families caring for individuals with disabilities.
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Use the 3Ms approach to keep a positive outlook.
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Immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention for all Indigenous peoples across Canada (available in some Indigenous languages). Toll-free: 1-855-242-3310.
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Loads of resources and visual information on structure and routine, managing behaviour and staying positive with your children.
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Visit the crisis and emergency section to find various crisis services in your community.
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Services for drug and alcohol, gambling, or mental health issues.
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Information and stories for explaining coronavirus to children.
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Short webinars for parents on children testing limits and anxiety, along with other resources.
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See what Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child recommends for successfully managing through this outbreak.
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Information and referral for community, government, social and health services, including mental health resources across Ontario.
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Individual Child Grants for kids to participate in sports and physical activity.
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Funding for children in Simcoe County who have barriers to activity
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Barrie Food Bank
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Learn about the Ontario Autism Program, and how to register your child after a diagnosis.
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Foundational family services for children under 18, and registered with Ontario Autism Program.
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Information on Disability Tax Credit.
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Access to Adult Developmental Services.
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Canada Suicide Prevention Services.
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Learn how to get financial and employment assistance if you don’t have enough money for things like food and housing, or if you have a disability and are in financial need.
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Wholesale fresh produce purchasing options in Barrie.
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Apply for support through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.
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Apply for funding for Incontinence Supplies.
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View the updated list with changes to eligible expenses due to program closures.
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View the updated list with changes to your personal income tax.
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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.
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Apply for one-time funds for each child to help offset the costs of learning materials to use at home.
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Assistance for low income households with energy costs.
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View the updated list with changes to eligible expenses due to program closures
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