SPecially Adapted Resource Centers - SPARC

12/15/2025

Today at SPARC ~McLean, we fueled our minds and our bodies while cooking up some creative masterpieces all day long! We started our morning by practicing our culinary skills while perfectly pouring ingredients into the mixing bowl for our waffle batter. Then we practiced kitchen safety by keeping our waffle iron away from edge ensuring no one accidentally touches the hot pan— keeping careful watch on the time too so that they don’t burn!

Afterwards we discussed our weekend, future holiday plans and listened to Jess’ crazy joke for today: Who is Santa’s coolest friend? During Art Therapy with Nicky, we made art with no boundaries: anything can be used to paint. Cathy carefully rolled her spiky ball across her paper creating a unique dotted pattern while also getting a tactile sensory experience as well!

Throughout the afternoon, we practiced our gift-wrapping techniques and learned how to use leftover wrapping scraps to make matching bows and ribbons. With the help of adaptive scissors, Akila was able to help Jess cut the tape to the perfect size to finish our gift!

Waiting for the answer to our joke? Jack Frost!!

12/14/2025

Happy Hanukkah!

12/12/2025

SPARC~Alexandria: We are 3D printing a Christmas tree! 🌲. It will take several hours to print but we will show you the results later.

12/12/2025

SPARC - Alexandria is getting ready for this weekend’s snow by warming up our snowball throwing skills!

12/11/2025

Today was one of those joyful, high-energy days where learning, creativity, and community all came together.

We started the morning with a lively conversation about favorite Spanish dishes—Ellen championed chicken quesadillas, while Jason stayed loyal to classic taco meat! The group loved sharing their picks and discovering new flavors together.

Next up: helping Kyle choose the perfect Christmas gift for a special friend. Everyone joined in with thoughtful, creative ideas, turning the moment into a sweet lesson in generosity and connection.

One of the day’s biggest highlights came courtesy of Christiana’s dad, who led an awesome hands-on science activity. Participants made their own sunglasses using polaroids and explored how light and brightness work. Watching the world shift through their homemade lenses was a total “wow!” moment.

After lunch, we kept the excitement going with Spanish language games—spelling colors, quick-memory challenges, and lots of laughter as everyone put their new skills to the test.

Learning a language opens the door to new cultures, new friendships, and new confidence—and our participants are showing just how fun that journey can be.

What’s your favorite way to learn a new language—or a new skill?

12/10/2025

Today, SPARC ~ Leesburg participated in an AI-based activity focused on Spoken Word and poetry. Using AI, we created an original poem by having each participant choose a word or phrase connected to meaningful themes such as love, family, and community. We also revisited our Kahoot regarding learning about ADA, the Adults with Disabilities Act, and it’s impact on the larger community and SPARC specifically.

For lunch, Nathaly requested spaghetti, so we prepared a pot of spaghetti with meat sauce. Maghfoor continues to be fully engaged in our food preparation activities—he often walks into SPARC, washes his hands, rolls up his sleeves, and is immediately ready to help cook.

Anee shared, “I should know most of the questions and answers regarding ADA compliance. I wrote my 8th-grade thesis on ADA accommodations.”

12/10/2025

We had a wonderful day at SPARC ~Leesburg! The morning kicked off with an exciting game of balloon volleyball, a fun and engaging activity that encourages teamwork, coordination, and physical movement while keeping everyone active and smiling. Participants had a blast hitting the balloon back and forth, cheering each other on while using our gross motor skills.

Participants enjoyed a giant version of I-SPY on the smartboard, searching for holiday-themed items hidden in a large picture. This is a great way to sharpen observation skills while celebrating the season. Diane was eager to participate and seemed to enjoy this activity more than most.

A Place To Be Music Therapy then filled the room with joy during an amazing hour of music. Each participant got to choose their favorite holiday song, and the energy was absolutely infectious as everyone sang along (whether they knew the words or not) and moved to the rhythm.

After lunch, we gathered for a thoughtful discussion about managing and reducing stress. Annie shared that she relieves stress by “beating everyone in UNO,” which she does quite often! David said he likes to decompress through “exercising, swimming, and taking deep breaths.”

To wrap up the day, we created calming sensory jars using water and glitter in each participant’s favorite color. Everyone agreed they were a wonderful tool for relaxation. We will keep some of these at the Center, so they are available when participants request them. It was another fantastic Monday at SPARC ~Leesburg, filled with laughter, creativity, and connection.

12/10/2025

Today our SPARC ~ Alexandria crew headed to Regal Cinemas at Springfield Mall, and it was pure joy from start to finish. We laughed our way through Zootopia 2—a heart-warming story about acceptance, friendship, and celebrating what makes each of us unique. The theater was buzzing with shared reactions, big smiles, and yes… all the classic movie snacks you’d expect

Moments like these remind us how powerful it is to come together around a shared experience. Simple fun. Real connection. True community.

What’s a movie that always brings people together for you—and why?

12/10/2025

12/09/2025

“Teamwork makes the dream work” was the motto for today at SPARC ~McLean, as we spent the day exercising our minds and our bodies while celebrating National Crossword Solvers Day!

Our word of the day was ‘stimulating’ as Akila read the definition aloud, we discussed different ways we partake in different brain stimulating activities every day. Many of those activities include learning new skills such as a language or instruments, playing mentally stimulating games, engaging in creative activities, staying physically active, and maintaining strong social connections which all work together to strengthen cognitive function. These activities keep the brain active through ongoing learning, creativity, and problem-solving, which helps improve memory, focus, and overall mental sharpness!

We started the morning with a group ‘SPARC themed’ crossword which we carried on into the afternoon as we had a letter scavenger hunt movement activity! Sandy and Amanda raced to grab the final letter, they brought it back to the group as we tried to unscramble the letters to find the final answer of the crossword: “MCLEAN!” Christiana said while grinning from ear to ear. Working together to solve the clues to the puzzle was so much fun, next time we are going to try it in Spanish!

12/08/2025

So grateful to INOVA for the North Pole tree event hosted by CJ’s Pediatric Promise fund and Christmas Tree Santa’s!