SPecially Adapted Resource Centers - SPARC

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Reston, VA
SPecially Adapted Resource Centers - SPARC

For more info go to www.sparcsolutions.org. You can also visit our cause page - Support SPARC:http://www.causes.com/causes/505567?m=0d43bb06

The best club in Northern Virginia supporting adults with life long disAbilities. We meet Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at Southgate Community Center in Reston, VA and Monday, Wednesday and Friday at OFTC in McLean, VA. Our day is filled with laughter, learning, and life!

10/10/2025

SPARC ~ Leesburg enjoyed a lively mix of games, creativity, and sensory fun! Participants started the day with Kings in the Corner, a card game that encouraged focus, strategy, and turn-taking. Afterwards, everyone expressed their creativity by making personalized “I Spy” sheets, adding favorite colors, objects, and personal touches that reflected their unique interests.

We then explored a variety of sensory stations, designed to engage different senses through textures, movement, and mindfulness — helping participants relax, self-regulate, and explore sensory preferences in a supportive setting. To wrap up the day, we played an energetic round of balloon volleyball, building teamwork, coordination, and laughter all around.

It was a well-balanced day of cognitive engagement, creativity, sensory exploration, and social connection — a perfect reflection of SPARC’s mission to make every activity meaningful and fun!

10/07/2025

We kicked off the day at SPARC~Alexandria with a hearty homemade breakfast spread featuring French toast, eggs, sausage, bacon, waffles, jam cakes, and freshly brewed coffee. Everyone pitched in with cooking and setup, and that teamwork made the meal taste even better.

Once we cleaned up, it was time to burn off those waffles with a spirited game of kickball — a fast-paced favorite that’s quickly becoming a SPARC~Alexandria tradition. Laughter, teamwork, and friendly competition filled the field, making for the perfect balance of fun and fitness to round out the day.

What’s your favorite way to combine food, fun, and fitness on a fall day?

10/06/2025

Today at SPARC ~ Leesburg, we enjoyed a wonderful mix of favorite activities that kept everyone engaged and smiling! We kicked things off with a lively round of Who Is That?!—a fun guessing game where participants solved clues about famous people. One clue set was cracked quickly: I was born in Pennsylvania. I gave most of my money to charity. I made caramels before chocolate. I even have a theme park named after me… (Did you guess Hershey?).

After several more exciting rounds, we took advantage of the beautiful weather with a refreshing outdoor walk. Along the way, we played a Fall-themed version of This or That, sparking lots of conversation and laughter about favorite seasonal traditions.

Following lunch, the group gathered for some card games. To top it off, David had a blast picking out a playful temporary tattoo, and he couldn’t stop smiling about the one he chose. It was the perfect ending to a fun and personalized day at SPARC!

10/06/2025

At SPARC ~ McLean, the pasta-bilities are endless! Today we celebrated National Noodle Day with fun crafts, silly jokes and questions, and super sensory activities. We kicked off our day with a question: Would you rather have spaghetti noodles for hair or macaroni noodles for eyebrows?? After we weighed the pros and cons, the decision was final. Spaghetti hair for the win!

During art therapy with Nicky, we continued leaning into our senses with our sense of hearing. We learned about Synesthesia and what happens when our senses get mixed; in this case we learned and practiced what music/sounds look like on paper. Keeping with the beat of the music, we moved our bodies and worked up an appetite for more fun during Zumba with Kime!

After we broke out into our noodle-themed activity stations. Ry Guy and Mia loved ‘Rigatoni Round-up’ building a structure and stacking the noodles around the straws: focusing on hand-eye coordination and fine motor (pincer grasp) skills.

While Tammy and Nicky had a blast working on color recognition, counting and fine motor skills at the ‘Pretty Pasta’ sensory bin searching for different colors and perfectly pinching them out to sort!

Tori and Christiana made a bowl of sensory spaghetti that looks good enough to eat!!

Coming together every day and using our noodles to create fun and functional activities while being with friends is why we love SPARC ~ McLean!

10/03/2025

Today, SPARC ~ Leesburg enjoyed a day full of sensory-based activities designed to promote engagement and support our participants’ sensory needs. We began with a fun shaving cream activity, which allowed participants to explore textures, practice fine motor skills, and build comfort with sensory play. Laughter and creativity filled the room as everyone participated at their own pace. We also played a trivia-style game of Would You Rather, which encouraged verbal communication, decision-making, and social interaction in a lighthearted way.

Maghfoor was especially engaged throughout the day. He took an active role in cooking by carefully measuring ingredients, which strengthened his independence, math skills, and confidence in the kitchen. Nathaly thrived during the sensory activities, showing self-motivation and responding well to verbal prompting—an excellent step in building both communication and self-regulation skills.

After lunch, we transitioned into a spirited card game session, enjoying both UNO and Kings-in-the-Corner. These games provided opportunities for teamwork, turn-taking, and strategic thinking, while also reinforcing patience and good sportsmanship. The energy was high, and the day was filled with fun, learning, and community.

10/03/2025

Today at SPARC ~ Alexandria was Group Games Day!

We kicked things off with a high-energy round of Blackjack—math skills were sharp, competition was fierce, and Mejie crushed it, walking away with a mountain of chips!

To keep the cozy fall vibes flowing, we brewed up some decaf pumpkin spice lattes in the French press. The seasonal flavor was a hit all around!

The laughter really took off during The Game of Things, where creative (and often hilarious!) answers to quirky prompts had us guessing—and cracking up—the whole time.

We closed the day with Apples to Apples, where strategic thinking and quick wit sparked some intense but friendly competition.

And of course, today’s Question of the Day brought the biggest laughs:

Would you rather be alone in the forest with a bear … or with a group of random men?

Annabel didn’t miss a beat: “Men—if they’re hot.” The rest of the group leaned toward the bear!

Now we want to hear from YOU:
What’s your go-to fall drink—pumpkin spice latte, apple cider, or something else?
If you had to pick, would you rather face a bear or random strangers in the forest?
And what’s your favorite game night pick—classic cards, board games, or something new?

Drop your answers below—we can’t wait to see what you say!

10/02/2025

We enjoy our outings to SimplyBe Coffee! Our favorite coffee shop! Check it. It won’t disappoint!

10/02/2025

Wishing all those observing a meaningful Yom Kippur and an easy fast.

10/01/2025

Today at SPARC ~ Alexandria we celebrated Pumpkin Spice Sensory Day—and it was packed with laughter, creativity, and plenty of sweet smells!

We started with our morning games and questions of the day: favorite ice cream flavors (Mejie loves vanilla, Annabel chose cookie dough) and foods that taste delicious but are hard to eat (one juicy fruit got lots of votes) .

Next, Nicky led a calming craft: filling sachets with rice and drops of essential oils to create soothing scents. The room quickly filled with cozy, autumn aromas. After a lively round of Jeopardy, we broke for lunch and returned to make our very own candles —melting wax, pouring into molds, and adding wicks. To end the day, everyone played a blindfolded “Guess the Scent” challenge.

It was a day full of sensory exploration, teamwork, and joy.

👉 Quiz time!
One of these scents actually appeared in today’s activities — but which one?
A) Lavender 💜
B) Peppermint 🌿
C) Pumpkin spice 🎃
D) Cinnamon 🍂

(Hint: you’ll have to read carefully to spot it!)
Drop your best guess in the comments below! 👇

09/30/2025

Movie Day at SPARC ~ Alexandria!

Today we turned our center into a mini movie theater filled with teamwork, tasty snacks, and lots of laughter. Participants worked together to grill hot dogs, bake nachos in the oven, and prepare fresh popcorn—building both cooking skills and camaraderie. Once the treats were ready, the group voted to watch Oliver and Company—a nostalgic, heartwarming choice that had everyone smiling from start to finish.

The day was the perfect blend of delicious food, shared laughter, and meaningful social connection.

What’s YOUR go-to movie when you want to relax with friends? Answer in the comments!

09/30/2025

SPARC ~ McLean had a latte fun celebrating National Coffee Day! ☕️ We started our day catching up with friends and hearing all of the fun things everyone did over the weekend; Mosaic Fall Festival, the movies and just spending time with friends and family are things that made us happy!

We celebrate National Coffee Day by incorporating the bold scented drink into our art and sensory activities! Matthew found his spot at the sensory table, choosing words and tracing them in the scented sensory bin that engulfed us in the sweet smells of fall! Using a long-handled paintbrush to push around the marshmallows, coffee beans and grounds, cinnamon sticks, and rice puffs we tackled the task improving fine motor skills!

After Zumba, Akila and Jess went on a mini field trip to the Starbucks across the street to celebrate National Starbucks Day and practice our communication and money handling skills. As a frequent Starbucks goer, Akila knows how much money he needs to put aside each week if he wants to get Starbucks twice a week! After confidently and independently exiting the building using the

ADA compliant automatic opening door, we made our way to Starbucks where Akila ordered his drink, chatted with the local baristas and celebrated National Coffee and Starbucks Day in proper fashion!

To end the day, Tammy and Akila brought out our favorite assistive device- the Jellybean Switch! This allows participants to engage in activities that typically involve a switch to do so with the press of a button! As Akila mixed together sugar and coconut oil, Tammy used the jellybean switch to finely grind coffee beans to put in our handmade Coffee Sugai scrubs!

“This will be the perfect gift for my mom and my sister!!” Akila shouted with excited as we jarred up the delicious, scented scrub; It was a sweet and smooth end to our day at SPARC ~ McLean!

Dranesville District - Supervisor Jimmy Bierman
Old Firehouse Center

09/30/2025

SPARC ~ Leesburg celebrated and learned all about our favorite morning beverage…coffee! Did you know that Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world? We began our day exercising our brains with coffee-themed word puzzles, practicing problem-solving, focus, and memory skills. Next, participants tapped into their creativity by painting and decorating coffee cups that will soon hold tiny succulents—an activity that strengthened fine motor skills while teaching responsibility for caring for plants.

After lunch, the energy kicked up a notch with a spirited round of balloon volleyball, encouraging teamwork, movement, and coordination. To top it off, Maghfoor got everyone dancing, bringing joy, exercise, and social connection to the afternoon. Today was a perfect blend of learning, creativity, and community—just like a good cup of coffee

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PO Box 2082
Reston, VA
20195

Website

http://www.sparcsolutions.org/

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