2018 Abilities First cover kid winner Keith loves spending time at Julie's Jungle. This inclusive playground is a perfect place for kids like Keith to play.
Families with children with special needs know that home is one of the only truly comfortable (and controllable) spaces for our little ones. But cabin fever eventually gets the best of us. Although the Hudson Valley seems to have ample services available for children with disabilities, there's only a few spots I can recommend visiting for some quality out-of-the-house playtime.
Frida's Bakery & Café
26 Main St., Milton
845-795-5550
Enjoy a hot cup of coffee while your kids play in a colorful and inviting playroom. Frida's Bakery & Café is one of my favorite playdate locations.
The playroom is nestled on the second floor of the café with easy elevator accessibility. The spacious area contains a fully-stocked kitchen set, tumble area and large padded blocks for building castles and tunnels. These toys are perfect for kids under five.
The other side of the playroom has plenty of seating so parents can relax and catch up with friends or Facebook. Frida's serves breakfast and lunch with an impressive menu of artisan breads, cookies, pies and tarts. There's also plenty of gluten-free and vegan options to choose from.
75 N Water St., Poughkeepsie
845-471-0589
Kids of all ages and abilities will find something fun and educational to do at the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum (MHCM). MHCM is proud to offer exhibits that get kids moving, exploring, building, pretending, collaborating, creating and discovering.
The first floor is dedicated to pretend play with small villages, a firetruck with a mini pole and ladder and a giant train table set. For each pretend area there are plenty of
costumes as well so kids can be completely immersed in their story.
Upstairs, the imaginative play continues with a pirate ship, jungle walk, stage and puppet theater.
Further over are tons of interactive stations to engage little minds in STEM. The flight lab lets kids launch pool noodle rockets and the Keva plank table inspires little builders. There's also the wondrous WonderDome where children can choose from nine different sensory exhibits to learn about light and color. There's even a neon robot arm that kids can control with a joystick.
MHCM also has a dedicated area for snack time, a cozy reading nook, as well as an elevator and family bathrooms for accessibility.
Sally's Dream Park
186 NY-416, Campbell Hall
845-615-3830
Sally's Dream Park is one of the best outdoor play experiences for your children with special needs. The newly redesigned park now offers even more accessibility for children of all ages including ramps, full support swings and unobstructed views from all seating areas. For toddlers and babies, there's also a smaller jungle gym that provides smaller slides and activity walls.
During the warmer months, this is our go-to outdoor playground. The grounds are beautiful, there's new soft fibar ground walkways, plenty of picnic areas for lunch, and best of all, it's free.
5 Old Lime Kiln Rd., Hopewell Junction
845-226-8395
Julie's Jungle is the first fully- accessible playground in Dutchess county. Inclusivity has been the main focus of this playground since its inception in 2012. Julie's Jungle caters to the needs of all children including those who are able-bodied and those with visual, hearing, cognitive or physical impairments.
The state-of-the-art adaptive playground gives children who have been previously excluded the opportunity to participate in outdoor fun while improving their social skills. The grounds also offer ramps and spacious decks, shorter stairs, Braille play
panels and even a sensory garden.
AMC Crystal Run 16
1 Galleria Dr., Middletown
845-695-1724
Enjoy sensory friendly films during the month at this Orange County theater. Films are shown with the lights on and the sound down. Family-friendly films are shown on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month and more mature audiences can enjoy films on Tuesday evenings.
Winslow Therapeutic Riding Center
1433 NY-17A, Warwick
845-986-6686
Winslow.org
Take a trip to Warwick where children and adults of all abilities can learn to ride horses. The program is meant to improve the physical, cognitive, social and emotional well-being of the participants.
14 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie
845-567-0005
Families of children with disabilities can enjoy open therapeutic ice-skating sessions or sign up for six-week sessions throughout the year. Ice skating can positively impact social skills, physical strength and balance.
3197 Rte. 44/55, Gardiner
845-255-0919
Enjoy the outdoors with your family. Plan your trip with the director of education to discuss your needs to make sure you get the most out of your experience. You can even borrow an all-terrain wheelchair.
Zylofone
3020 NY-207, Campbell Hall
845-476-8257
Zylofone hosts an abundance of programs for all ages that use music to foster social interaction in a safe and calm environment. Their mission is to encourage creativity through the arts while enhancing social skills, confidence and independence.
Hudson Valley Swim
15 Raquet Rd., Ste. 2, Newburgh
845-226-3456
Students with special needs can get one-on-one attention in a class that is tailored to them and their needs.
Rielly is a part-time writer and full-time mama to an adorable toddler with autism.