We offer now online specially designed arts programs for our kids and youth accounting for their individual needs. Cost $175/h. This program can be then implemented by parents and caregivers.
Therapeutic Arts Program (TAP) for Children and Youth with Special Needs and Autism, (now on-line therapy) is an exceptional forum to develop, learn social skills and connect with the arts. We help our clients grow and thrive, process and express their feelings and build friendships. TAP is conveniently located at Port Credit, Mississauga. For more information about the classes and programs please call Margaret Guzowski, Registered Psychotherapist/Art Therapist and owner, tel: 289-952-2640.
Saturday 17 October 2020
Thursday 23 July 2020
We are open online again!
We have some client spaces available for appointments even this week, please do not hesitate to contact us when you are ready. All kids all abilities are welcome!
Wednesday 15 July 2020
Saturday 4 July 2020
TAP is included on new website!
Happy to share new website for Margaret Guzowski including all her work and TAP program please see: https://margaretguzowskitherapy.com/
Saturday 20 June 2020
Individual Art Therapy and/or Yoga Sessions offered in the summer
I will be offering in person and online, individual Art Therapy and Yoga Therapy sessions this summer. These sessions will cost $150/h and can be covered by insurance under Registered Psychotherapy (other funding can also be discussed). Please call Margaret for more information tel. 289 952 2640.
Monday 8 June 2020
Photos outside - go to the park! This week activity
This week is a trip to the park, take your family and go. Explore natural area, near your home or further if you can. Being outside is good for you, see nature observe! Look around you what you notice what you see and document it and share with us. Here is our trip with Maja to Eugenia Falls, ON. Take photos of what you like. Here we have a path! I always like paths in the forest and small plants to see. I was able to find a Canadian orchid (last photo yellow flower) and some familiar plants, who can guess what they are? Please have look, and share, look at different textures and feels of each photo.
Friday 29 May 2020
This week is your turn! We have a contest!
Send us a photo of the TAP activity we were posting below, and tell us how you liked it! We will choose a winner and there is a fun price of an art kit for you!
Note: next week is TAP adventure outside, get your cameras ready we will be checking out nature!
Note: next week is TAP adventure outside, get your cameras ready we will be checking out nature!
Friday 22 May 2020
This week's activity - scribble!
This week we suggest scribble. Any crayon or marker, pencil or pen will do, if you have different colours it will be more fun.
First on a blank paper draw a scribble anyway you want, you can do it with your not dominant hand, or keep the crayon on the page until you finish.
Second, look at it. Turn the paper up and down and to the sides if that helps to see any images. I turned mine upside down and saw this shoe! So I outlined it. You can also colour shapes or just spaced areas and make it abstract.
Please see my shoe! and have fun. I would love to see your scribble drawing please send it to us!
First on a blank paper draw a scribble anyway you want, you can do it with your not dominant hand, or keep the crayon on the page until you finish.
Second, look at it. Turn the paper up and down and to the sides if that helps to see any images. I turned mine upside down and saw this shoe! So I outlined it. You can also colour shapes or just spaced areas and make it abstract.
Please see my shoe! and have fun. I would love to see your scribble drawing please send it to us!
Thursday 14 May 2020
Wednesday on Thursday :) Yoga Today - Relaxation, breathing and animal poses
1. Take 5 breaths when you are sitting cross legged. To help with counting hold up your fist and open one finger at the time and breathe in a big balloon breath. Do it five times until your hand is fully opened. Taking breaths helps us feel calm and relaxed. If we feel anxious and overwhelmed we can take five any time. Counting on your fingers can help but it is not necessary. With practice you will remember to breathe when having a hard time and you will feel better.
2. Cat pose. Remember to arch your back and not to move your hands and legs, the head goes down as well and you can make hyss sound of a cat! Breathe out.
3. Cow pose. Is the reverse of the cat, back goes down head goes up hands and legs are still. Make mooo sound! Breathe in.
4. Cheetah Pose. Lift your right hand and left leg up! Keep on moving you are a cheetah running after the antelope. Change to left hand right leg! Try to be very quiet like a cheetah hunting.
5. Child Pose. Go to rest in the child pose. When we rest our body and especially our head down like that we become more quiet and relaxed. Remember to breathe.
Thank you Maja!
2. Cat pose. Remember to arch your back and not to move your hands and legs, the head goes down as well and you can make hyss sound of a cat! Breathe out.
3. Cow pose. Is the reverse of the cat, back goes down head goes up hands and legs are still. Make mooo sound! Breathe in.
4. Cheetah Pose. Lift your right hand and left leg up! Keep on moving you are a cheetah running after the antelope. Change to left hand right leg! Try to be very quiet like a cheetah hunting.
5. Child Pose. Go to rest in the child pose. When we rest our body and especially our head down like that we become more quiet and relaxed. Remember to breathe.
Thank you Maja!
Wednesday 6 May 2020
Wednesday Activity-Shaving Cream Art
Shaving cream can be a fun medium to make art. Just add some tempera paint and you will have fluffy paint. I tried using a marker but it did not work as well. Alternatively you can use white shaving cream on coloured paper or magazine and see what happens. It is also fun to put it on hands and just enjoy the texture. Finger painting and whole hand painting are also a lot of fun. For kids who do not like to touch paint/shaving cream paint brush or a popsicle stick will be the best. I encourage kids to experiment and have fun. *Note: the nicest effect is when it is all just done and wet, so take a photo of your art if you can!
Tuesday 5 May 2020
Special Needs and Autism Consultations, therapy sessions on-line
Even though our program is not on locations right now, we offer online TAP sessions. In addition Margaret Guzowski, registered psychotherapist/art therapist is offering online consultations for parents and caregivers, and therapy sessions for kids and youth. As well as serving adults with special needs with therapy. Please contact us for more information. These sessions may be covered by health plans and special needs fundings.
Wednesday 29 April 2020
Last Yoga Pose!
5. Hot dog Pose, created by Carlo, you lift the yoga mat on both sides, you are a hot-dog in the bun, what is on your hot dog? Ketchup? Mustard?
Wednesday Activity Yoga - Food Poses with Maja
Today we will do some of our kids favourite food yoga poses.
1. Pizza Pose, make your own pizza slice. Make sure that you use your hands to flatten the dough and what ingredients go on pizza? Keep adding them including some vegetables (or Fire Flowers, for Matteo)
2. Sandwich Pose, your torso and hands are one slice of sandwich, your legs are the other slice of bread, close it. What is inside your sandwich?
3. Soup Pose, in your lap you are holding a very big pot, in your hands there is a big spoon, you are cooking soup. What soup are you making? Make sure to rotate your whole upper body in both ways (changing directions). TAP kids favourite is chicken noodle soup.
1. Pizza Pose, make your own pizza slice. Make sure that you use your hands to flatten the dough and what ingredients go on pizza? Keep adding them including some vegetables (or Fire Flowers, for Matteo)
2. Sandwich Pose, your torso and hands are one slice of sandwich, your legs are the other slice of bread, close it. What is inside your sandwich?
3. Soup Pose, in your lap you are holding a very big pot, in your hands there is a big spoon, you are cooking soup. What soup are you making? Make sure to rotate your whole upper body in both ways (changing directions). TAP kids favourite is chicken noodle soup.
Wednesday 22 April 2020
Wednesday Activity Flowers!
Our Wonderful Arho who is a student of Recreational Therapy prepared this activity for kids!
Spring Flower
Make an Easy Coffee Filter Flower!
1.Prepare a cup of water and coffee filters or tissues. (and sunshine)
Make an Easy Coffee Filter Flower!
1.Prepare a cup of water and coffee filters or tissues. (and sunshine)
- Get your coloured markers
- Draw designs you want on the coffee filters/tissues, spring colours may be nice.
- Soak them in the water
- Pick them up and dry under the sun!
- Wait till they are dry enough, roll a paper into a cone as shown here and insert the flowers, or tie them with string or pipe-cleaners.
- Completed!!!
Wednesday 15 April 2020
Wednesday Activity!
Today we will discuss feelings! Things are changed for many kids during this pandemic, there is no school and we can not meet in-person either in our TAP programs. You all know emojis so I thought it would be easier to talk about feelings using these:
Choose three emojis that describe how you are feeling and draw your own picture! Alternatively you can put three of them on the page and draw using them, or one at the time, you can choose to include the emoji on the picture, have fun! Send us your pictures! We will post them! Please let us know if you like our activities we will love to hear your feedback! Thank you, TAP Team!
About feelings;
Feelings are messages that tell us what is going on, they tell our body and mind what we are needing to know. They are real and tell us truth about what we experience at the moment. All feelings are good. The comfortable feelings are sometimes called good feelings like happy or glad, and uncomfortable feelings like angry sad are named bad feelings, but they are all good because they tell us what we need to know. We want to use them to respond to different situations (outside) or thoughts (inside) that we have in our heads. When we recognize our feeling, we can then have information to take steps to respond. Then we can release the feeling and let it go so feelings like anger do not get stuck inside us. Feelings change and that’s good. Sometimes noticing the feeling is enough for us to observe, and let it go. It is good to know the names of feelings: here are some: angry, sad, mad, hungry, thirsty, happy, glad, irritated, anxious, nervous, scared, hurt, energized, calm, content, joyful, quiet, loud, relaxed, stressed, uncomfortable, comfortable. When we call out our feeling to ourselves, we may feel better. Sometimes it is good to ask ourselves what are we feeling? The answer may not come right away but if we wait, it will eventually. It maybe few feelings at that time and they may feel mixed up. That’s normal. Feelings are normal and they are good. Sometimes we need to respond to our feeling for example when we are tired, we need to rest, when we are thirsty, we need to drink, when we are angry we have a problem we need to think, when we are scared we may need to ask for help. Sometimes when we can just recognize a feeling and we will always feel better.
Choose three emojis that describe how you are feeling and draw your own picture! Alternatively you can put three of them on the page and draw using them, or one at the time, you can choose to include the emoji on the picture, have fun! Send us your pictures! We will post them! Please let us know if you like our activities we will love to hear your feedback! Thank you, TAP Team!
About feelings;
Feelings are messages that tell us what is going on, they tell our body and mind what we are needing to know. They are real and tell us truth about what we experience at the moment. All feelings are good. The comfortable feelings are sometimes called good feelings like happy or glad, and uncomfortable feelings like angry sad are named bad feelings, but they are all good because they tell us what we need to know. We want to use them to respond to different situations (outside) or thoughts (inside) that we have in our heads. When we recognize our feeling, we can then have information to take steps to respond. Then we can release the feeling and let it go so feelings like anger do not get stuck inside us. Feelings change and that’s good. Sometimes noticing the feeling is enough for us to observe, and let it go. It is good to know the names of feelings: here are some: angry, sad, mad, hungry, thirsty, happy, glad, irritated, anxious, nervous, scared, hurt, energized, calm, content, joyful, quiet, loud, relaxed, stressed, uncomfortable, comfortable. When we call out our feeling to ourselves, we may feel better. Sometimes it is good to ask ourselves what are we feeling? The answer may not come right away but if we wait, it will eventually. It maybe few feelings at that time and they may feel mixed up. That’s normal. Feelings are normal and they are good. Sometimes we need to respond to our feeling for example when we are tired, we need to rest, when we are thirsty, we need to drink, when we are angry we have a problem we need to think, when we are scared we may need to ask for help. Sometimes when we can just recognize a feeling and we will always feel better.
Wednesday 8 April 2020
bonus fun!
In the colouring eggs activity there are two nicely brown eggs! This is a fun traditional Polish staining technique that kids can learn about. Kids will need to assist an adult. You will need onion peels (dry parts) and water and a pot to boil white eggs.
Colouring Eggs! Wednesday Activity
Today we will colour eggs. This is a present Easter tradition that symbolizes new beginnings new life and Spring. All cultures have special spring traditions this one is fun for everyone to do to celebrate rebirth of new season and nature awakening to new growth.
You will need two white boiled eggs and either paints (any paints will work) or markers. I used a markers to show that basic art materials will work.
You will need two white boiled eggs and either paints (any paints will work) or markers. I used a markers to show that basic art materials will work.
Wednesday 1 April 2020
bonus activity!
Facebook has lots of good kids activities, but I really liked this one as it teaches to draw and letters and numbers as well, fun!
https://www.facebook.com/546717678836626/posts/928061324035591/
https://www.facebook.com/546717678836626/posts/928061324035591/
Tissue box activity - Wednesday fun
Here is an easy sensory activity that was well tested with TAP kids. Items needed empty tissue box and small items. Very easy activity, put small items in the box for your child and let them discover the different items, by putting your hand inside without looking. If you make them familiar they can tell you what it is, they can describe it. For non verbal kids it is fun to find something and you can take turns with your kids or get them to put things for you to discover as well. Have fun!
Wednesday 25 March 2020
Second Activity!
Are socks puppets! Any old socks will do. Just take a sock and make some eyes if you don't have googly eyes, nose of your choice, glue and here they are. Now the play can begin, they can talk with each other and other persons, play have theater! Make stage curtains from two chairs joined by a broom horizontally and throw a blanket over them. Enjoy!
TAP activities on Wednesday
Hello TAP Friends, we have two activities for kids today.
One is a rice box. Just uncooked rice (beans can be added too or anything that is this sand type texture. It works very nicely like a small sensory activity. Things can be put inside to discover (I put some chalks and small toys). TAP kids (big and small) love this rice box and will occupy themselves for a while, also items can be take out including rice and arranged in any nice way... like different faces made from rice and beans.
Please look below
One is a rice box. Just uncooked rice (beans can be added too or anything that is this sand type texture. It works very nicely like a small sensory activity. Things can be put inside to discover (I put some chalks and small toys). TAP kids (big and small) love this rice box and will occupy themselves for a while, also items can be take out including rice and arranged in any nice way... like different faces made from rice and beans.
Please look below
Tuesday 17 March 2020
TAP is going on-line!
We have activities, support and resources to our kids and parents. We offer live and taped sessions. Free resources on Wednesdays starting this week.
Wednesday 11 March 2020
Tuesday 10 March 2020
TAP Pediatrics Legacy-proud of our medical students
Our both medical students who practiced at TAP with our kids chose pediatrics as their specialization! And we can proudly announce that both of them got into most competitive hospital Sick Kids downtown Toronto! We are so proud of you Magda and Herman! These two young doctors are very special, caring, emphatic, smart and playful, they were wonderful with our special kids and they will become wonderful pediatricians! Congratulations from all of us at TAP!
Thursday 5 March 2020
March Themes
March 7th - Paint and Play, Women's Day!
March 14th - Move to the music, St. Patrick Day
March 21st - Creative Exercise
March 28th - Have Fun!
March 14th - Move to the music, St. Patrick Day
March 21st - Creative Exercise
March 28th - Have Fun!
Tuesday 25 February 2020
March Break Info - fees are due, we still have couple spots left!
Our March Break Camp date is approaching, the fees and registrations are due this Saturday, February 29th. We still have some spots available. Please see Registration Page for fees schedule, note the intake assessment is necessary for all new clients. After this date we will take on kids on first come first served basis, thank you.
Wednesday 29 January 2020
February Themes
Feb. 1 - My friends
Feb. 8 - Valentine's Day
Feb. 15 - My family
Feb. 22 - My teachers
Feb. 29 - My favorite people
Feb. 8 - Valentine's Day
Feb. 15 - My family
Feb. 22 - My teachers
Feb. 29 - My favorite people
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Other services
Margaret Guzowski also offers psychotherapy services please see: https://margaretguzowskitherapy.blogspot.com/
Friday 17 January 2020
March Break Camp & Leadership Program for Youth
We are taking registrations for March Break Camp and a new program for high functioning High-school Youth. Please see our flyer for more information:
*Our prices can be found under the "registration" heading page on this link.
Thursday 2 January 2020
January Themes
Jan. 4 Happy 2020 making NY plans
Jan. 11 What's important in 2020 kids choice-Sonic/Games
Jan. 18 What's important in 2020 kids choice-Animals
Jan. 25 What's important in 2020 staff choice-Earth and Creativity
Jan. 11 What's important in 2020 kids choice-Sonic/Games
Jan. 18 What's important in 2020 kids choice-Animals
Jan. 25 What's important in 2020 staff choice-Earth and Creativity
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