Social and Recreational Opportunities

This list includes disability-specific and general opportunities that parents have told us are disability-friendly. Some of these organizations might be contracted with CLTS or provide scholarships. Please call Children’s Resource Center-North to help navigate these resources by contacting us toll free at 1-866-640-4106 or email at crcnorth@marathoncounty.gov. 

Last updated: March 2025

Theatre and Arts

  • The Penguin Project of Central Wisconsin: penguinprojectcw.org/
    • Located in Wausau East High School. Theater program for ages 8-22 with and without developmental challenges. “Artists” are those with special needs and have the lines and roles in a show, and “mentors” guide and support them.
    • penguinprojectcw@gmail.com
  • The Center for The Visual Arts: www.cvawausau.org/youth-classes
    • Located downtown Wausau. Offer a variety of art classes for youth throughout the year.
    • Scholarships are available to cover costs of classes.
  • Music Therapy Services of Central WI: mtscw.com/
    • Provide music therapy interventions in Stevens Point area, will come to home.
  • See My Art Dragonfly Studio: seemyart.us/
    • Seeks to open doors and unlock minds by providing public venues for displaying art by individuals with disabilities, and by educating the public about the health benefits of artistic expression. Located in Northwest WI, near Cable.
  • Tom’s Drawing Board: www.facebook.com/TomsDrawingBoard/
    • Offering art classes and other opportunities (events) in Rhinelander. Certified Autism friendly business. 715-420-1001
  • Wildman Arts: wildmanarts.com/
    • Offers Sensory classes in Antigo
  • Learn & Love It: learnandloveit.com/
    • Dance classes in Stevens Point and Almond, WI
  • Dance without Limits at Best Foot Forward, Plover
  • Playce For Us: www.playceforus.com/
    • Adapted dance and art classes. Located in Wausau. Sally Schmidt, SLP

Leadership Opportunities

  • Wisconsin Youth Leadership Forum– occurs every summer at Edgewood College in Madison. This week-long forum is for high school students with disabilities who want to learn more about leadership, self-advocacy skills, and career awareness.
  • Crossways Self-Determination Camp at Pine Lake Camp in Waupaca is for those 18 and older with intellectual disabilities www.crosswayscamps.org/selfdetermination

Sports and Physical Activities

Outdoor

  • Empowered Dream Hunts: Empowered Dream Hunts
    • Based in Mosinee (Wausau) and offers hunting trips to veterans, youth, and others with access barriers.
  • Fishing Has No Boundaries: fhnbinc.org/
    • First started in Hayward, now has chapters across the country including Eagle River. Provides fishing events as well as information on adaptive equipment.
  • Little Lakes Memories, Inc.: littlelakesmemories.org/default.aspx
    • Non-profit organization providing lodging, recreation, and hunting to physically challenged individuals. Located in Irma, WI. Hosts outdoor experiences for those with disabilities as well as providing a place for periods of respite and relief to individuals and their families/caregivers in need of a non-hunting “time-out.”

Swimming/ Aquatic Therapy

Local indoor pools can be great for winter activities and some hotels in the area offer daily rates to use their pool.

  • Marshfield Clinic Health Systems YMCA in Marshfield: mfldymca.org/aquatics/private_lessons.php
    • Beyond Barriers Swim Lessons- for adults, teens, and children with special needs who may find it difficult to learn to swim in a group environment. Six weeks of sessions with 1-1 lessons. Financial assistance to all qualified applicants.
    • 715-387-4900 Aaron Heiss, Aquatics Director, at aheiss@mfldymca.org.\
  • North Central Health Care: www.norcen.org/services/aquatic-therapy-center/
    • The North Central Health Care pool offers both therapy options and “community swim” which are times when those released from therapy or those who would benefit from warm water exercise can use it with a doctor’s note. They do have a pediatric PT on staff.
    • 715-848-4600, info@norcen.org
  • Darwin E. Smith Aquatic and Fitness Center: Wittenberg www.woodsonymca.com/wittenberg/
    • (715) 253-2211
  • Mosinee Aquatics/ Woodson YMCA/Aspirus Pool – Mosinee www.woodsonymca.com/ 
  • Riverside Athletic Club – Merrill www.riversideathletic.com/ Warm water recreational, therapeutic, and instructional indoor water facility.  
  • Antigo Aquatic Center (Antigo Civic Rec)/ Clara R. McKenna Aquatic Center– 715-627-0497 www.woodsonymca.com/antigo/ 

Horse Riding/ Equine Therapy

Many of these providers are contracted with CLTS and/or CCS

  • Stable Hands: stablehandstherapy.com/
    • Equine therapy
    • Located in Wausau. Diane 715-359-6046
  • Scholl Community Impact Group: schollcommunityimpactgroup.org/
    • Equine Therapy in Winchester (30 mi North of Minocqua)
    • Lenelle 715-493-3534
  • HEC Hooves of Joy: www.facebook.com/HECHoovesofJoy/
    • Ashland 715-682-2558
    • Therapeutic horsemanship year round 40- 75 lessons per week, CLTS vendor
  • Unbridled Hope: www.facebook.com/UnbridledHope/
    • Bayfield 715-779-5546
  • HART Equine Therapy Center, Inc.: hartetc.com/
    • Wood County east of Marshfield 10198 Brookside Road Auburndale, WI, 54412
    • (715) 305-5166 kim.hartetc@mail.com
  • Up There: www.upthereatrrhorsehaven.com/
    • Not typical equine therapy but ground work with horses and currently offering free “equine facilitated social groups” by age for those with ASD, ADHD in Taylor, Price, and Rusk Counties. Westboro (Taylor Co)
    • Contact Rachael at (715)255-0263. Contracts with CLTS, CCS, also a sliding fee scale
  • Stable Reins: www.stablereins.com/
    • Prentice (Price County)
    • CCS contracts for Taylor, Price, Oneida
  • Red River Riders– Shawano red-river-riders.org/
  • Strides: stridescenter.com/
    • Greenwood/Clark County
    • Offer equine therapy, therapeutic riding, animal wellness, art wellness, yoga, and a skill development program. Some services are provided at other locations depending on program and provider.
    • W6801 Colby Factory Road, Greenwood, Wisconsin 54437
    • Contact Heidi at Heidi@stridescenter.com Or 715.316.7704

Other Opportunities-

Out of Area-

* This material and information is for general information purposes only. List is subject to change at any time without notice. Known options are listed, however, additional ones may exist. By providing these links, Children’s Resource Center North does not specifically endorse any product or service provided by these organizations and we are not responsible for the content of these sites.