Stay at Home Resources for Individuals with Disabilities

Stay At Home Resources

Stay At Home Resources: free activities to do with your loved ones

Our Associate Director of Development, Volunteer and Donor Engagement, Tina Chan Sweenie, put together this comprehensive list of free resources that will allow you to virtually explore and experience everything from the performing arts to workout and cooking classes to National Parks.

Even better, all of Tina’s personal favorites are marked* to help you decide what to do. And if you discover a new resource you’d like us to add, shoot Tina an email at tinachansweenie@penn-mar.org and we’ll credit your addition!

Art

Music, Dance, & Entertainment

Travel, Discover, & Explore

Read

  • If you like Dr. Seuss and Dr. Dre, this is for you!
  • The famous Reading Rainbow, read by Levar Burton!
  • James and the Giant Peach read by famous funny people!
  • Census by Jesse Ball. When a widower receives notice from a doctor that he doesn’t have long to live, he is struck by the question of who will care for his adult son—a son whom he fiercely loves, a boy with Down syndrome. With no recourse in mind, and with a desire to see the country on one last trip, the man signs up as a census taker for a mysterious governmental bureau and leaves town with his son. The man must confront a series of questions: What is the purpose of the census? Is he complicit in its mission? And just how will he learn to say good-bye to his son? Mysterious and evocative, Census is a novel about free will, grief, the power of memory, and the ferocity of parental love, from one of our most captivating young writers.
  • Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson. Joe and Rose Kennedy’s strikingly beautiful daughter Rosemary attended exclusive schools, was presented as a debutante to the queen of England and traveled the world with her high-spirited sisters. Yet Rosemary was intellectually disabled, a secret fiercely guarded by her powerful and glamorous family. Only years later did the Kennedy siblings begin to understand what had happened to Rosemary, which inspired them to direct government attention and resources to the plight of the developmentally and mentally disabled, transforming the lives of millions.
  • Rules by Cynthia Lord. Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she’s always wished for, it’s her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?
  • Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann and Kristen Joiner. One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human.

Animals, Environment, & Nature

STEM

  • Science Rules! with Bill Nye the Science Guy
  • 5 Assistive Technology Stores for techies with special needs
  • 7 Most Useful Smart Home Devices for people with disabilities
  • Apps for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
  • Try out this Marble Run
  • Check out Engineering Challenges from The James Dyson Foundation
  • Mark Rober – Former Nasa and Apple engineer, he’s a phenomenal YouTuber teaching kids and adults alike. You don’t even realize you are learning because it’s just that fun! Squirrel Ninja Obstacle Course, Glitter Bombs to catch bad guys, Glow Germs and now he’s teaming up with Jimmy Kimmel to support the Adult Autism community!
  • Thank you, Northrup Grumman! Our Corporate Partner, for sharing their extensive resource page with us.
  • For one of the most Zen science experiments, try Moon Sand. Pro tip: use lavender scented baby oil.
  • Experimentation at its Best! My family would highly recommend the marshmallow catapult, Diet Coke and Mentos, elephant toothpaste, growing Gummy Bears, and for one of our absolute favs, Oobleck!

Fitness

Food

  • Stemming from a Girl Scout Gold Award Project Anna Moyer created this wonderful website to make cooking accessible to all. Now a PhD candidate in human genetics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where she’s researching Down syndrome. There’s a great focus on adaptive cooking tools! And her site also led me to ICE CREAM! Perfect preparation for the summer! Take a look at the next resource below.
  • Taharka Brothers Ice Cream: A generation of people wanting to do better for themselves. This ice cream company has its roots in social change and community activism. And it’s tastes great too!
  • Cooking Sense with Rose Visser: Adaptive Cooking Show
  • Bon Appetit! Learn to cook with a fun cast of characters. Brad’s our fav!
  • Have fun cooking with Chef Jacques Pepin
  • Pick Up Limes (OK, they win for punniest name!) – healthy, simple, DELICIOUS recipes
  • Easy but healthy food prep ideas
  • Make the most amazing, tasty, and easy rustic bread with Breadmaster Jim Lahey via this Recipe or Video*
  • Try the Easiest Pancake Recipe*
  • Easy Treat: Italian Affogato! Hot coffee poured over a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. If you want to get fancy, try with coconut ice cream.*

Educational Resources

Self Care

  • The Center for Future Planning webinars aims to support and encourage adults with I/DD and their families to plan for the future. The Center provides reliable information and assistance to individuals with I/DD, their family members and friends, professionals who support them and other members of the community on areas such as person-centered planning, decision-making, housing options, and financial planning.
  • Not big on meditation but want to rest your mind? Scenic Relaxation films with spa like music and pretty pictures of different places around the world.
  • Exercise videos for people with disabilities
  • The Mind Body Connection – ever find yourself clenching, have chronic pain, I definitely do! This might be worth a try! Plus, did you know Mayim Bialik, is a neuroscientist and plays one on TV and yes, she is that cute kid from the TV show Blossom.
  • 30 Days of Breath – Yoga with Adriene (sign up or go straight to YouTube) Things to keep in mind: 1) This might be a 30-day challenge but know that you don’t have to do this practice every day, take as long as you need 2) Adjust position to make it work for you. We are all at different abilities, slow your roll and go at your own pace. 3) Be gentle with yourself and give yourself some love!

Lifestyle

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