Barrie therapeutic clinic for children with autism wins national contest
A Barrie therapeutic clinic for children with autism is the winner of a national contest designed to get children outdoors and connect with nature.
"Seeing the joy as they are running and playing and climbing and all of that sensory-motor aspect has been awesome," said Tammy Frazer, founder of On Solid Ground.
On Solid Ground was randomly chosen from over 8,000 entries as part of Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds 2022 OutClass Early Learning Pod Giveaway.
The outdoor classroom includes a sand surface with horizontal and vertical log pieces to help promote physical development along with motor skills and socialization.
"This is the perfect serendipitous place to end up where we feel like we can actually help her program," said founder Adam Bienenstock.
When playgrounds were initially shut down by COVID-19, Bienenstock said he saw an opportunity to get kids outside by creating outdoor classrooms.
"It was a pandemic thought at first, but it's also something that filled a need," said Bienenstock.
For Frazer, providing an outdoor space was her dream and vision.
"For children with autism specifically, really being able to develop the creativity and curiosity that they wouldn't get in a classroom or one-on-one, adds to the overall whole child growth and development," said Frazer.
The therapeutic clinic settled into its new location about a month ago, and this is the first time it's had an outdoor space.
Over the last three years, Bienenstock said more than 20,000 schools and childcare centres across North America had made requests.
He added time and nature is now a key health indicator on the Active Healthy Kids Canada report card.
"We're not doing a particularly good job right now. The more sensory the play is, the longer it will hold the child's attention, the more exercise they get, the healthier they become," said Bienenstock.
The contest opens again on Friday, with a winner chosen by the end of the school year.
Complete information is available online here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.