- Day Trips (14)
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Open year-round, the 47-acre campus features state-of-the-art raptor enclosures, exhibit spaces, classrooms, and interpretive nature trails. VINS places a priority on bringing high-quality, compelling, and engaging education programs to people at the Nature Center, in the community, and in schools throughout the region.
VINS offers a fully accessible Forest Canapy Walk which is over 100 feet above the forest floor.
Many people with significant intellectual or physical disabilities cannot utilize a standard toilet, instead requiring equipment such as a hoist and height-adjustable changing table to use the bathroom in safety and comfort. In the United Kingdom, adult changing tables are gaining wide support thanks to the advocacy of disability campaigners and the Changing Places Consortium.
Offering a special needs friendly designation to the hospitality industry to help ALL families & individuals feel welcome when traveling.
Located in Williston, Vermont, Catamount Outdoor Family Center offers
20 miles of year round recreational trails for hiking, mountain biking, trail running, cross-country skiing, sledding and more. One trail that stands out is our “Carriage Path,” a 3-mile, heavily wooded trail with beautiful trees and loads of nature.
The Carriage Path is a wonderful trail appropriate for enjoyment by disabled persons. What sets it apart from traditional trails is its’ generous width, gradual ups and downs, and the surface is smooth allowing safe access for wheelchairs and 3 wheeled bikes. This same trail can be enjoyed by sit-skiers during the winter months.
Catamount also has a sit-sled which allows children and/or adults to sit while someone pushes them through trails and/or go sledding down a hill.
Swings, wheelchair accessible play structure, hands on activities, music, etc. This new adaptive playground at Collin Perley Center in St. Albans is AMAZING. Definitely worth the trip!
The Echo is a great place to be a member! The membership is affordable and makes a great Christmas or birthday gift! It is nice to have a place to go downtown with kids that you can stop in for an hour or so and then continue with errands or head to lunch or a park after! The bottom exhibit is always changing. There was an exhibit on feelings and emotions that was awesome. You could talk and see your speech light up, warm words like love were in red and cooler words were in blue.
They just added champ lane which is a small kids area but is well laid out and packs a lot into a small space! There is only once entrance so it is easy to stand right by it and let your kids safely explore. There is a really cool tunnel tree slide, a water table, a boat, a stage, a grocery store, kitchen, and lastly an animal hospital. There is also a small space for nursing and a somewhat quiet area with Legos and blocks.
I really like being a member as we can go their frequently enough that we both know the space and how to navigate it. I also like that if he is struggling we can leave without feeling like we didn’t get our monies worth! Visit the Echo Center for more information.
Edaville Family Amusement park has gone above and beyond to accommodate children with autism and/or sensory concerns. They have installed a quiet room for children to access, trinkets to help kids wait in line, and have put in a sensory friendly bathroom.
The Fun Zone offers children a bounce house, obstacle course, inflatable slide, ping-pong, small arcade and toys to play with. It is bright, clean, and wide open which makes it easy to spot your child. It also provides great sensory input on the inflatable objects. Visit The Fun Zone.
We had a wonderful experience while eating at Juniors at Stowe. From the moment we were seated until the time we left, the staff was very accommodating to our daughter. They willingly sat us away from windows (due to the fear of bugs), asked us if it was okay if their service dog visited, and went out of their way to find some crayons for our daughter. Granted, the restaurant was very quiet (1:30) but my hope is that they are like this all the time!
And the food was very good!
Explore more than 140 hands-on exhibits indoors and out, and experience a variety of engaging programs.
We have been to the Omni Resort at Amelia Island 5 times and continue to go back. They have always accommodated our child’s needs in their kid clubs. They also offer some great family activities, pool-side activities, family friendly restaurants, bikes paths, and wonderful accommodations on the beach. The staff are also extra friendly, helpful, and fun. Click here for information about Camp Amelia.
This incredible coffee shop is top notch in accommodations, acceptance, and inclusion.
Pizzeria Verita is a local restaurant in Burlington that offers great pizza, salad, and dessert. What makes this restaurant even better is the wonderful service. Children are treated to handmade pizza dough to play with and a bucket of crayons to color when they are seated. The wait staff is very patient, friendly, and accommodating. This is one of our favorite places to visit before a sensory-friendly performance at the Flynn Center!
Santa’s Village is a small amusement park located in Jefferson, NH. Yes, amusement parks can be overwhelming for children and hard to navigate if you have a child with special needs. However, this park is small and the employees are wonderful and very accommodating. They also offer a special pass for children with various disabilities. This pass allows children to gain quicker access to a ride without having to wait in line.
A great resource that lists many sensory friendly places to visit, camps, sport activities, travel information and more.
This is a wonderful resource to get information regarding autism. They have daily routine cards, storybook, and other great resources. Definitely a site to check out. For more information click here.
Shelburne Farms is a wonderful place to bring your child. At the Farm Yard you can visit with animals, play with toys, or see how they make their amazing cheese. There are also plenty of walking trails to experience. It is generally a quiet place and very spacious.
With the support of the Schip Foundation from Shelburne and Kayla’s Directory there is an adaptive all-terrain stroller that is located at the educational center.
Shelburne Farms is not only a great place to visit for a day, they offer some great camps throughout the year! They do a remarkable job working with ALL kids, regardless of their differences. From the animals, hands on activities, and their delicious bakery; it is definitely a place you want to visit.
Shelburne Farms also has an adaptive stroller to access their grounds!
Shelburne Museum is a wonderful place for the entire family. They have wonderful buildings to explore, beautiful paths to walk, and a wonderful marry-go-round. Every week Shelburne Museum offers a creative art activity for children of all ages. Shelburne Museum does a great job at including ALL children in their activities and facilities. The staff at Shelburne Museum are wonderful and remember they have an adaptive stroller you can access!
Story Land has teamed up with Autism Speaks to offer a “Sensory Friendly” weekend in September. Many of the staff members at Story Land are getting trained on how to recognize, understand, and act compassionately when assisting families dealing with Autism in the Park. Check out Story Land & Autism Speaks