(James Alan leading a My Magic Hands workshop at Ronald McDonald House Toronto)
This summer has been one busy season of magic for the My Magic Hands program.
In addition to our very busy workshops and regularly-scheduled sessions at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab Hospital – including two workshops with Helping Hands and Hands 2 Hands camps, which are programs designed to encourage, strengthen and integrate the use of a client’s non-dominant hand – we have happily welcomed new partners to the mix.
We were invited by the wonderful occupational therapists at ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development to work with clients in a version of a Helping Hands workshop. Part of our secret is making every effort to individualize magic tricks for clients so they get just the right amount of challenge (to push but not to frustrate). This focused attention, mixed with a high ratio of one-to-one volunteers for clients, makes for a very successful experience. We are happy to report that our first outing with ErinoakKids accomplished exactly that: confident and successful candidates.
We also conducted a mini magic workshop in partnership with the Summer Fun day camp run at Ronald McDonald House Toronto. The House is a “home away from home” for children and their families and provides much more than just lodging. In addition to offering accommodations for families with children with life-threatening illnesses, Ronald McDonald House Toronto also offers a medical-free environment, giving families a safe haven retreat. The Summer Fun day camp is exactly the kind of program to support family healing. Summer Fun is for all the children staying at the House to help find productive and meaningful ways to fill the day. We were thrilled to be a part of such a program and look forward to possibly providing more workshops in the future.
Remember all that magical fun we had earlier this summer with Camp Ooch? Well, it was such a success that we have been invited back this August to participate in a mini day camp at Ooch Headquarters, downtown. Youngsters with their camp councillors will have a very full morning of magic, complete with costume construction and magic wand making!
And as we approach the middle of August, it is amazing to think where the time has disappeared to?! POOF! We will take a short blogging break and bring you more magical news in the fall.