Awesome Special Needs Events for Metro Detroit Families

There are always plenty of fun activities going on around metro Detroit for kids and families to enjoy. But sometimes it’s nice for children with special needs to have an event that’s designed just for them — from sensory-friendly play times to a chance to try something new in a more patient, supportive environment.

Parents can also benefit from workshops, support meetings and other events geared toward moms and dads of children with special needs.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list featuring some great upcoming special needs events for kids and their parents. Take a peek at these activities for people with special needs and their families.

This article was recently updated on Dec. 23, 2024 by Metro Parent’s Audience Development Coordinator, Kari Zaffarano. The update included her adding Metro Detroit special needs events to the MetroParent.com‘s calendar, aligning Metro Parent’s mission to provide the top parenting resources for local families. Questions? Please reach out to kari@metroparent.com.

Local events

Photo credit: iStock/jarenwicklund

Looking for a fun event that is designed for your child’s needs? We’ve got you covered with art programming, movie nights, dances and other fun activities made for kids with sensory processing disorders and other special needs.

Chuck E. Cheese Sensory Sensitive Sunday

Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, Aug. 3, Sept. 7, Oct. 5, Nov. 2 and Dec. 7, 2025

• Address: Various locations
• Cost: Free 

On the first Sunday of every month, the play area will open two hours early for children with autism or sensory sensitivities. It will have reduced lighting and noise.

Kick Start 2025 at Royal Oak Mahany/Meininger Community Center

Jan. 10, 2025

• Address: 3500 Marais, Royal Oak
• Cost: $8/person

Enjoy music, dancing and pizza at this New Year’s event. Advanced registration required by Jan. 3, 2025.

The Creativity Club at Paint a Miracle

Jan. 13, 27; Feb. 10, 24; March 10, 24, 2025

• Address: 400 Water St., LL4, Rochester
• Cost: $50-$60

This bi-weekly art club allows participants to explore sensory-integrated art and social engagement. Participants will make multi-media art projects that include printmaking, sculpture, painting and more.

Painting Party at Rochester Avon Recreation Authority

Jan. 17, 2025

• Address: 500 E. Second St., Rochester
• Cost: $28-$34

Enjoy a special painting party at RARA, in which participants will create fun projects inspired by cozy scenes and snowflakes. All materials will be provided.

Easter Eggstravaganza at Rochester Avon Recreation Authority

April 5, 2025

• Address: 500 E. Second St., Rochester
• Cost: $28-$34

Join RARA for a fun-filled day with Easter-themed activities. It will feature dying eggs, an egg hunt and more. Advanced registration required.

Family support and information

Photo credit: Marcos Elihu Castillo Ramirez

Raising a kid with special needs comes with a different set of challenges for families. Find support and get much-needed information to help you meet your child’s needs at these local events.

• Are you looking for support in raising your child with autism? The Autism Alliance of Michigan showcases workshops on topics like ableism, peer support and much more on their website.
• The Macomb-Oakland Regional Center offers tons of fun activities for kids with special needs alongside support groups and informational sessions. Check out their list of events for more.

More activities

Photo credit: iStock

Not sure you want to leave the house? Have some fun at home, instead! Check out the sensory-friendly activities listed in our roundups below. They’re perfect fun for kids with special needs.

• Keep your kids entertained with an engaging sensory bin. Check out this list of easy, cheap and fun sensory bin ideas to find one that your child will love.
• Fun activities to try at home? Yes, please! From a family cook-off to crafts or a dance party, these 8 indoor activities has kids of all abilities covered.
• Coloring is great fun for everyone and there are plenty of free coloring sheets for all interests. Download options from Detroit Parks, The Detroit Zoo, Crayola, Disney on Ice, MLB and more.
• Kids have a lot of fun at their local playground, but not every playground meets every child needs. Kids with limited physical mobility or special needs find traditional playground fun at these local barrier-free spots.
• Want to visit your favorite local attraction with your kids? Get details on museums, playgrounds and other spots that reserve time for guests with sensory processing disorders.

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Top 10 Things to Do with Metro Detroit Kids This January

This January, metro Detroit is packed with exciting family-friendly events! Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with special activities, glide across ice skating rinks or race down sledding hills.

My son Jordan and I can’t wait to visit Bowers Farm Winter Park for glow tubing—it’s the ultimate winter adventure! We’re also thrilled to catch the Harlem Globetrotters at the Athletics Center O’Rena.

Ready to plan your month? Scroll down to explore our top picks for January family events in Detroit and around metro Detroit that will keep your calendar full of winter fun!

Read more: Find Our Full List of January Events in Metro Parent’s Events Calendar 

This article was last updated on Dec. 23, 2024, by Metro Parent’s Audience Development Coordinator, Kari Zaffarano. The update includes newly-added events to MetroParent.com’s calendar, highlighting the top family-friendly activities in metro Detroit this month. Have questions? Feel free to contact Kari at kari@metroparent.com.

Best January events for metro Detroit families

Bowers Farm Winter Park

Photo credit: Bowers School Farm

Jan. 4-5, 10-12, 17-19, 24-26, 31, 2025

• Address: 1219 E. Square Lake Road, Bloomfield Township
• Area: Oakland County
• Cost: Free/admission, $17/glow tubing ticket

Enjoy glow tubing, animal experiences, a winter playscape, bonfires and more. Concessions will be available to purchase and The Farm Store will also have items for sale. 

Glow Stick Nights at the Dodge Park Ice Rink

Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25, 2025

• Address: 40620 Utica Road, Sterling Heights
• Area: Macomb County
• Cost: Free/residents with valid ID, $5/non-residents, $4/skate rental, $5/skate sharpening

Families can come to Dodge Park Ice Rink to receive a free glow stick (while supplies last). Jan. 4 is 70s night, Jan. 11 is 80s night, Jan. 18 is 90s night and Jan. 25 is 00s night.

Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place

Jan. 10-20, 2025 

• Address: 1 Washington Blvd., Detroit
• Area: Wayne County
• Cost: $20/adult, $12/senior, $10/child

See more than 20 attractions, shows and events which are all about vehicles and the ever-growing technology behind them. 

Fire and Ice Festival at Robert C. Valade Park

Jan. 10-12, 2025 

• Address: 2670 Atwater St., Detroit
• Area: Wayne County
• Cost: Free

All weekend long, enjoy oversized fires, axe throwing, performances, photo opportunities, turkey legs and an ice carving competition. On Saturday evening at 6 p.m., see the Fire and Ice Tower (a seven-foot ice structure) lit to become a giant bonfire.

Frost Festival in Downtown Rochester

Photo credit: Rochester Downtown Development Authority

Jan. 17-18, 2025 

• Address: Downtown Rochester
• Area: Oakland County
• Cost: Free

See downtown Rochester transformed into a frosty wonderland. There will be Frozen in Time themed ice sculptures, a shopping and dining BINGO game, marshmallow roasting, competitions and more. 

Blake’s Bavarian Winterfest at Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill

Jan. 18, 2025

• Address: 17985 Armada Center Road, Armada
• Area: Macomb County
• Cost: $5/general admission, $15/admission + 10lbs of make your own sauerkraut

Blake’s is bringing the heart of Germany to Michigan with a lively celebration featuring everything you love about Bavarian culture—delicious food, refreshing drinks, music, contests, games and more.

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Jan. 18, 2025

• Address: 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn
• Area: Wayne County
• Cost: 36/ages 12-plus, $25.50/ages 5-11, free/ages 4 and under; Free museum admission and parking on Jan. 20, 2025

Swing by the museum to learn about the contributions Dr. King made to the civil rights movement and other civil rights artifacts, including the Rosa Parks bus. It offers musical performances, an original play, live performances and more.

Dexter Ice Fest

Jan. 18, 2025 

• Address: Monument Park, Dexter
• Area: Washtenaw County
• Cost: Free

See more than 80 ice sculptures, live ice demonstrations, a cocoa crawl, specials from local restaurants and merchants and more. 

BRRmingham Blast in Downtown Birmingham

Photo credit: Chris Cook, @jcccreative

Jan. 25, 2025 

• Address: South Old Woodward Avenue from Maple Road to Brown Street, Birmingham
• Area: Oakland County
• Cost: Free

This fun winter event features zip lining, entertainment, marshmallow roasting, food trucks and more. 

Harlem Globetrotters at Athletics Center O’Rena

Jan. 25, 2025 

• Address: 569 Pioneer Drive, Rochester
• Area: Oakland County
• Cost: $35-plus

Watch the Harlem Globetrotters as they go head-to-head against the Washington Generals in an exciting, trick-filled basketball game.

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Teen Drug Use Varies By State. Here’s How Michigan Compares

Teen drug use has declined significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, but overdose rates are rising due to increased fentanyl use.

Data from the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey and SAMHSA show that in 2023, about 1 in 5 teens aged 12–17 reported using illicit drugs in the past year, down from 28% in 2020. School closures and increased parental supervision during the pandemic likely contributed to this drop.

Despite declining misuse of alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis, prescription misuse among 12th graders persists, and fentanyl-linked overdoses have made drug-related deaths the third-leading cause of pediatric mortality.

Teen drug use on the decline

Illustration credit: Substance Use Treatment Facilities

Teens turn to drugs for multiple reasons, including to relieve boredom, to feel like an adult, or to fit in. It can also be a sign of mental illness, as drugs can be used as a form of self-medication for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

After peaking in the mid-’90s, teen drug use has largely been on the decline. This has partially been attributed to increased anti-drug messaging, including the war on drugs policy in the late 1980s and the proliferation of national drug education campaigns like D.A.R.E.

After dropping during the pandemic, researchers had speculated teen drug use could rebound once students returned to school. However, the latest data shows a delay in first-time drug use among younger students has led to lower levels of chronic drug use overall. In other words, since fewer students experimented with drugs for the first time, it reduced their chances of using them again.

In 2023, the share of 10th graders who had never tried drugs or alcohol rose to 54% from 49% the year before. For 12th graders, the increase was even more significant—38% had abstained from drugs in 2023, up from 31% in 2022.

Drug use higher in Western states

Illustration credit: Substance Use Treatment Facilities

While teen drug use has largely declined, the latest data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health shows moderate differences by state. In Michigan, an estimated 8.2% of teens had used an illicit drug in the past month, making it the #20 state for teen drug use.

Drug use is generally higher in some Western states, including New Mexico, where 13.7% of teens had used drugs in the past month. This is in line with larger trends, as New Mexico has had some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug-related deaths in the country for decades. A 2023 report from the state’s legislature found fewer teens are using drugs than they were a decade ago, but overdoses are on the rise.

Northeastern states including Rhode Island and Massachusetts also have some of the highest rates of teen drug use. Again, this is in line with larger regional trends, as New England has felt the outsized impact of the opioid crisis.

States with the lowest rates of teen drug use were Alabama and Utah, with both at around 5%. However, both states have experienced a rise in opioid deaths in recent years. In 2023, Alabama launched the Odds Are Alabama campaign to raise awareness and prevent fentanyl-related overdose deaths.

Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo. Additional editing by Kelly Glass and Elisa Huang. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C. This story originally appeared on Substance Use Treatment Facilities and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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Which Ann Arbor Elementary School Is Yours? Find Out Here

For Ann Arbor parents, an important step in planning your child’s education is finding out which elementary school they will attend.

With many public elementary schools in the area, understanding which school is tied to your neighborhood is crucial for setting your child up for success. This guide breaks down the process into simple steps to help you identify your designated school.

What to know about Ann Arbor Public Schools

The city of Ann Arbor is served by Ann Arbor Public Schools. Here’s a closer look at what you need to know about the school district. 

• Elementary schools: Ann Arbor Public Schools has 20 elementary schools, each offering unique programs to meet diverse student needs.
• Key features: The district emphasizes academic excellence, arts integration and innovative STEM education, supported by a vibrant, inclusive community.
• Contact information: Visit a2schools.org or call 734-994-2200.

How to check your neighborhood elementary school zone in Ann Arbor

Photo courtesy of Ann Arbor Public Schools website

To get started, here are two simple ways to identify which elementary school your address is assigned to. 

See the map on the district’s website

Ann Arbor Public Schools has created attendance boundary maps, broken down by elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. Take a look at their attendance boundary map for elementary schools. 

Confirm the school of attendance with the directory

These maps give a general idea of school boundaries, but to be sure which school is assigned to a specific address, check out Ann Arbor Public Schools’ Attendance-Area-by-Street Directory.

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Mid-Winter Break Dates for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools: 2025 Schedule and Activities to Plan

Mid-winter break offers families a great chance to unwind and spend quality time together. Whether you’re thinking about laid-back days at home, exciting activities or a mix of both, having the break schedule handy can help you maximize your time.

Below are the mid-winter break dates for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools for the 2025 school year, along with some engaging ideas to make this time off memorable for your family.

Mid-winter break dates for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

• Start date: Feb. 14, 2025 (Conference Comp Day – No Staff or Students)
• End date: Feb. 17, 2025
• Back to school date: Feb. 18, 2025

Check out the full 2024-25 school year calendar.

Mid-winter break activities in metro Detroit

Not sure what to do with the kids at home? Here are some great ideas to fill your family’s mid-winter break with so much fun. 

• Head to an indoor play center. Beat the chill with a visit to one of metro Detroit’s indoor play spaces. From trampoline parks to climbing gyms, kids can burn off energy while having a blast.
• Explore the outdoors. Bundle up and embrace the winter weather with outdoor adventures like sledding, ice skating, or snowshoeing at local parks. Spots like Campus Martius in Detroit or Kensington Metropark offer great winter activities for families.
• Create a DIY winter workshop. Spend an afternoon crafting together. Try making snow globes, painting winter-themed pottery, or working on a family puzzle. It’s a fun way to enjoy quality time while staying warm.
• Take a day trip. Venture out to explore nearby attractions. Head to Frankenmuth for Bavarian charm and family-friendly activities or visit Ann Arbor’s Hands-On Museum for a mix of learning and fun.

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Michigan Schools Launch Exciting New Online Tutoring Partnership

Michigan students in grades K-12 in need of extra tutoring will soon have an online option thanks to a new partnership. 

Michigan Virtual and Stride Tutoring teamed up to provide one-on-one and small group tutoring to 700 districts statewide. The state-approved partnership will use an evidence-based approach with instruction from certified teachers. 

“Tutoring personalizes learning for students, which is yet another step towards our priorities of broadening student pathways and driving educational change in Michigan,” said Walt Sutterlin, the senior director of strategic communications and partnerships for Michigan Virtual in a press release. 

Read on for more information on the new partnership offering online tutoring across Michigan schools.

Funding for the tutoring partnership comes from the state

The MI Kids Back on Track grant made the partnership possible. The $150 million in funding from the Michigan Department of Education intends to help students catch up from pandemic learning loss. 

A series of specific requirements must be met in order for vendors to be accepted for the funding. The tutoring must occur at least three times a week in 20 to 30 minute sessions with no more than four students in the group. 

In most cases, tutoring is implemented throughout the school day. Tutoring that is a before- or after-school program may also be approved. Progress monitoring is another part of the requirements according to the legislature. 

The stakes are high

Education leaders across the country have raised the alarm on COVID learning loss. A team of researchers from Harvard and Stanford created the Education Recovery Scorecard to provide each state with a clear look at where students are coming up short. The Scorecard also gives suggestions as a roadmap to improvement. 

In Michigan’s case, students were recovering slower than students in other states, according to the Scorecard in January 2024. 

“No one wants to leave poor kids footing the bill, but that is the path Michigan is on,” said Thomas Kane, faculty director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University in the report. “With federal relief dollars drying up, state leaders must ensure the remaining dollars expand learning opportunities […] through tutoring and after-school contracts next year.”

The MI Kids Back on Track Grant will address this issue directly. State leaders hope that the new partnership will allow students to catch up to pre-pandemic learning levels.

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5 New Kid-Friendly Metro Detroit Eateries to Try in 2025

A lot of New Year’s resolutions can feel restrictive, which is why I prefer to take on the new year with a bucket list, instead. My 2025 bucket list is filled with exciting new things I want to experience in the year ahead, from checking out new attractions coming to Detroit to dining at some of the best new restaurants in town. 

Trying new flavors as a family is an awesome addition to any New Year’s bucket list. Looking for recommendations? These five eateries opened in 2024 and have lived up to the hype. From family-friendly coffee shops to cozy comfort food, give these kid-friendly spots a try if you’re looking to try new things and support local businesses in 2025.

Cafe Noir

• Address: 9405 John R. St., Detroit

Turn your quest for coffee into a family outing when you visit Cafe Noir. The family-friendly coffee shop offers sweet treats and a variety of coffee drinks, as well as hot chocolate, chocolate milks and apple juice for kids. You’ll find work from local artists proudly displayed on the walls, and cool, Instagrammable seating outside. For more artsy vibes, check out the art gallery next door. 

Norm’s Diner 

• Address: 8029 Agnes St., Detroit

For a cozy breakfast filled with special touches, Norm’s Diner is the place to be. This neighborhood spot takes classic diner fare to the next level. The menu is simple, but the food is sure to impress. After your meal, be sure to order a creamy chocolate or vanilla malt. 

Lincoln Yard + Little Yard

• Address: 2159 E. Lincoln St., Birmingham

This hip new spot is situated in a repurposed school bus depot. Lincoln Yard, the main, sit-down space, serves healthier versions of classic comfort foods, including pizza, burgers and rotisserie chicken. You’ll also find classic kids’ menu options — burgers, pizza, mac and cheese and chicken tenders. Little Yard is the operation’s takeaway counter serving breakfast, treats and drinks all day. 

Corktown Taphouse

Photo courtesy of Agave and Lime

• Address: 1611 Michigan Ave., Ste 200, Detroit

Corktown Taphouse is your family’s place to eat, play and make some awesome memories together. The new destination in Corktown offers duck pin bowling and darts, a great selection of alcoholic beverages, and bites from two independently-owned kitchens. 1834 Kitchen is serving up kid-approved snacks like chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks and pretzel bites, and you’ll find tacos, burritos, bowls and kids’ meals at Agave and Lime. 

Bombshell Treat Bar

Photo credit: Bombshell Treat Bar

• Address: 2688 Coolidge Highway, Berkley

The beloved build-your-own ice cream bar pop up finally opened its first brick-and-mortar location in metro Detroit this year. Kids love creating their own custom ice cream bars, starting with unique chocolate dip flavors and finishing them off with toppings ranging from your typical candies and sauces to wild ingredients like edible glitter, lemon gummies and pink sea salt. Find ice cream floats, soft pretzel sundaes and more unique treats here, too.

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