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Family Yoga Day " summer fun for children with special needs

Plymouth Guide - 6/6/2018

By Gita Brown

Kicking off summer with special outdoor events is a familiar pastime to many families. I love when my yoga students share stories of their summer adventures with me. However, to families who have children with special needs, new activities and events come with complicated logistics and accessibility challenges.

At South Shore Conservatory (SSC), we believe these families deserve opportunities for fun and novel activities that the whole family can enjoy together. With this in mind, our Creative Arts Therapies department has introduced Family Yoga Day, a fun and relaxed Saturday morning event designed for children ages 3-14 with special needs and their families. Often, our unique families may find events challenging due to stress created by large crowds, unpredictable schedules and noisy environments. We've designed this day with their whole family in mind; they'll find a relaxing and accepting setting to kick off their own special summer fun.

Family Yoga Day features Yoga for the Special Child (R) activities, live music, snacks and socializing. Our special-needs-friendly event has taken all of their needs into consideration. The space is modified that that everyone will be able to enjoy our campus and its natural beauty as they enter a relaxed atmosphere. Kids are welcome to move around, make noise, and be themselves. We'll also have a calming room in the main building in case any child wants a quiet break, and our fully-accessible outdoor and indoor spaces allow guests with mobility challenges, or those using wheelchairs, easy access to all our events. Throughout our fun and relaxing sessions, we'll have a music therapist on hand to provide fun live music, and licensed Yoga for the Special Child (R) practitioners to teach accessible and simple movements that invite the whole family to play.

Kids will feel right at home with our special guest facilitator this year, Miss Macy Gilbert. Macy is twelve years old, is joyful and loving, and happens to also have Down Syndrome. Macy has spent seven years studying Yoga for the Special Child (R) and has been busy preparing to help share her joy and skill in yoga with all! On-hand throughout the entire event, she is available to teachers and students, ensuring all have fun and relax during the yoga activity. We are thrilled to have her join our team for this joyful event.

To make the day even more accessible, we've created a special webpage at sscmusic.org/social-stories/ where you'll find a full schedule to help plan your day. You'll also find a social story complete with pictures and clear descriptions of our campus, what you'll find at the event, pictures of our teachers, and a visual schedule. If you're looking for a fun, low cost and low stress Saturday morning, come join us for Family Yoga Day!

South Shore Conservatory's Family Yoga Day is Saturday, June 16 from 10 am to 12 pm, in the Jane Carr Amphitheater, One Conservatory Drive in Hingham. The cost is $5 per person, or $10 per family. Those who enroll for Accessible Yoga on the day of the event will have the price of their ticket credited to their tuition. Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure adequate space, food and inclusivity. For more information or to register, visit sscmusic.org/familyyogaday/ or contact Gita Brown at g.brown@sscmusic.org or leave a message at 781-749-7565, ext. 49.

Yoga for the Special Child (R) Practitioner Gita Brown is the Accessible Yoga Program Coordinator of South Shore Conservatory's Creative Arts Therapies department.