Bolts4Kids

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Ottawa, ON
Bolts4Kids

Holistic Play-Based Therapeutic Mental Health Services for Complex Children, Youth, & their Families.

11/20/2025

Thank you for your patience as we work through renewals and new intakes, while always keeping our front-line quality and therapeutic care at the heart of what we do. 💛

We’re supporting more families than ever before, and we’re committed to making sure our play-based, relational programs don’t get “compressed” by demand. Community, connection, and care will always lead the way here at Bolts4Kids.
If you have questions about renewals, referrals, or getting started, we’re always happy to help, reach us anytime at admin@bolts4kids.ca.

Thank you for standing by a small-but-mighty local business as we grow alongside your incredible kids.

11/14/2025

Emotions Volcano at home 🌋

Use whatever you have in your house. (or plan an adventure together to collect your items!)

A lampshade works great as a volcano.
Choose your sensory medium together.
Clay, plasticine, paper and paint… some kids love mess, some prefer low-mess.

There is no wrong way.

Print or draw a simple volcano picture.
Sit beside your child and model first.

Write or draw one thing that has been stressful or frustrating for you lately.

Invite your child to add theirs only when they feel ready.

For every stress named out loud, add a spoon of baking soda into the volcano. We do not correct stress, only validate at this point.

Bigger feelings can mean more baking soda.
When you are both ready, pour in the vinegar.
This is not about performance.

It is about slowing down, co-regulating, and releasing pressure in tiny safe steps.

If you want more play based emotional support ideas, visit www.bolts4kids.ca 💛

11/13/2025

World Kindness Day 💛
Kindness is not just a personality trait.

It is a practice.
It is how we attune.
How we pause.
How we notice the moment before a meltdown and choose softer instead of stronger.

Kindness can sound like:
“I hear you.”
“That makes sense.”
“Let’s breathe together.”
“I am here.”

It is less about perfection and more about presence.
For many kids, especially neurodivergent nervous systems, kindness is not “being nice”
it is creating safety.

Today - and every day - may we remember that kindness is regulation in action.

Learn more about co-regulation and play based emotional support at www.bolts4kids.ca 💛

11/12/2025

DIY colouring sheet night 🎨
Try this at home tonight and notice how connection builds while you draw together.

Step by step:
• find a simple drawing video you both like
• draw alongside each other (not over their page)
• start in pencil so edits feel safe
• outline yours in Sharpie after
• then colour together

Offer the choice to colour their own or trade pages.
It is normal for kids and teens to feel a little envy when they see your adult skill level, slow it down, name the feeling, point out what you like in their process, and stay side-by-side.
This is more than paper crayons and markers.
This is co-regulation, shared attention, attunement, nervous system pacing, and creativity with intentionality.
Two minutes of prep… longer impact.
If you want more play-based support ideas, resources, or therapeutic programming for sensitive or neurodivergent kiddos…

visit www.bolts4kids.ca 💛
Play is not just fun, it is brain-building.

11/11/2025

We pause today in honour and gratitude.
Remembering the courage, the sacrifice, and the lives forever changed.
Lest we forget.

11/10/2025

Family support is not about being “more perfect.”
It is about being better resourced.

At Bolts4Kids we support caregivers with:
-Parent coaching
-Parent counselling
-Digital toolboxes
-Virtual Workshops

And soon… self-paced courses for busy nervous systems and schedules!

When parents feel calmer and more supported, kids feel safer and more connected.
Your nervous system is the one they borrow from first.

If you are feeling stretched thin, overwhelmed, or stuck in reactive cycles, you do not have to figure it out alone.

Book an intake call and explore how our team can support your family through this season:
www.bolts4kids.ca 💛

11/09/2025

Winter Support Add-Ons are here ❄️
December can feel beautiful and overwhelming for sensitive nervous systems. So this year we are adding short-term supports from Dec 3–20, 2025 to help kiddos ease into holiday energy instead of pushing through it dysregulated.
Registration is open until Nov 15.
What is available:
• Half-Day Camps
Winter wonderland themes, gentle gift-making, slower paced play cycles, intentional co-regulation. Perfect for families who already know December overstimulation hits early. One half-day per week means minimal missed school and maximum regulated reset.
• After-School Creative Bolts
4:00–5:30 PM
Art based expression, imagination, confidence building.
• Bolts Mini-Workshops
4:00–5:30 PM
Short topics that are digestible, motivating and fun.
• Parent Recharge Workshops
Because caregivers need nervous-system support too.
A gentle note on the Half-Days:
This is not about skipping school. This is strategically choosing one protected half-day per week to recharge so the rest of the week goes better. For many kiddos this tiny shift makes a huge difference.

11/08/2025

Happy International STEM Day! 🌟

At Bolts4Kids, we believe the best learning happens when minds, and hands;are busy building, testing, creating, and exploring.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) isn’t just about numbers or formulas — it’s about curiosity, problem-solving, and discovering how the world works.

Whether it’s coding a game, designing a bridge from popsicle sticks, or experimenting in the kitchen, every spark of curiosity builds confidence and critical thinking.

💡 When kids are encouraged to follow their interests and passions, learning becomes more than schoolwork , it becomes self-discovery.

11/06/2025

How is school going for you and your complex family? Reach out today to learn how our team can help you target risk behaviours and address them with a play-based model!

Bolts is launching new areas of support to help build the toolboxes of families, teachers, and support teams!

In the meantime, here is a FREE visual and strategy for negative thought patterns that can occur in the classroom setting!

11/04/2025

Email admin@bolts4kids.ca to inquire about our self-paced parent courses and Pillars4ALL parent coaching options!

✨ Sometimes real change doesn’t start with the child, it starts with us.

Parent coaching with a trained Child & Youth Care Practitioner helps families understand what’s underneath behaviour, not just how to manage it.
Through reflective practice, relational tools, and co-regulation strategies, families begin to shift patterns that once felt stuck, building calmer homes, stronger connections, and renewed confidence.

💡 Small insights can lead to big transformation.
If you’ve been waiting for the “right time,” this might be it.

11/02/2025

Daylight Saving ends this Sunday, November 2 : remember to set your clocks back one hour

For many families (especially our neurodivergent and complex ones), even a small shift can feel big. Here are 5 gentle ways to help your home adjust:

1️⃣ Shift Bedtimes Slowly: Start moving bedtime 10–15 minutes earlier each night. Small steps prevent meltdowns and midnight wakeups.

2️⃣ Chase Morning Light: Open blinds early' natural light helps reset the body’s clock and boosts mood.

3️⃣ Keep Mealtimes Consistent: The body loves rhythm: same meals, same structure = less chaos.

4️⃣ Plan Quiet Mornings: Expect a few sleepy starts; keep routines calm and sensory-friendly.

5️⃣ Show Grace: Everyone’s rhythm might feel “off”, yours included. It’s not regression, it’s adjustment.
Your family isn’t behind" you’re just re-syncing.

✨ Be gentle. You’re doing great. ✨

Address

Ottawa, ON

Telephone

+16132240060

Website

http://www.bolts4kids.ca/

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Ottawa River Integrative Mental Health
14 Chamberlain Avenue

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