January 28th notice: the hot tub is currently under repair and will be unavailable until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to resolve the issue.

Child & Youth Programs

Skill Builder Programs are an inclusive series designed to foster and support the mental, social, emotional, and physical development of children and youth.

Our Mission

  • Build confidence and foster a sense of belonging.
  • Provide extra time to learn and develop skills in a small group setting.
  • Introduce tailored support strategies based on individual needs and abilities.

We welcome participants of all abilities, whether neurotypical or neurodivergent, with or without formal diagnoses such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Anxiety, Sensory Processing Disorder, learning disabilities, developmental delays, or coordination challenges.

For children who would benefit from 1-on-1 support, we encourage caregivers to arrange for an aide or attend the program with their child. If you have questions, please contact the Child and Youth Programs Director (Jennifer Howard) at 587-393-9487 or jhoward@tricocentre.ca.


Skill Builder Support Programs (Ages 4–12)

  • Fine Motor (Ages 4–6)
    Practice small muscle movements with fine motor manipulatives and hand-strengthening exercises.
  • Brick Builder (Ages 6–10)
    Build imaginative worlds brick by brick while enhancing fine motor skills, teamwork, and problem-solving.
  • Direction Detectives (Ages 6–12)
    Develop active listening and learn strategies like checklists, visuals, timers, and task breakdowns to follow directions effectively.
  • Anxiety Explorers (Ages 6–12)
    Navigate anxiety with confidence by exploring symptoms, triggers, and coping strategies in a supportive group setting.
  • Confidence Quest (Ages 6–12)
    Boost self-esteem and confidence through activities focused on positive self-talk, embracing uniqueness, and overcoming challenges.
  • Friendship Foundations (Ages 6–12)
    Build and maintain friendships with activities that focus on social cues, communication, empathy, cooperation, and emotional regulation.
  • Wellness Warriors (Ages 6–12)
    Learn to recognize feelings, manage big emotions, and build a personalized calm-down kit.

Skill Builder Non-Competitive Sport Programs (Ages 6–14)

Perfect for beginners or those with limited experience, these programs provide a fun, supportive space to develop fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and enjoy being part of a group.

Registered Programs:

  • Badminton Basics (Ages 9-14)
  • Badminton Rally Readiness (Ages 9-14)
  • FitQuest (Ages 6-14)
  • Non-Competitive Basketball (Ages 6-14)
  • Non-Competitive Soccer (Ages 6-8)
  • Non-Competitive Volleyball (Ages 6-12)
  • Tri-Sport (Ages 6-14)

Upcoming Registration Timelines

  • Spring 2025 Program Guide available on February 6.
  • Member registration begins March 4 at 6:00 AM.
  • Public registration begins March 6 at 6:00 AM.

Current registered programs

If space is available after the program starts, the price will be adjusted on a pro-rated basis.

Skill Builder: Fine Motor Skill Development (4-6 yrs)

This targeted program helps build confidence and independence! Giving children extra time to practice using small muscles in their hands, wrists, and fingers. Fine motor practice helps with buttoning, zippering, drawing, coloring, tying shoelaces, brushing, and flossing teeth. Children will play with fine motor manipulatives and practice hand strengthening exercises.

Skill Builder: Direction Detectives (6-8 yrs)

In a small group setting, this program teaches active listening skills and effective strategies to follow directions. Through engaging discussion and activities, we will explore helpful strategies such as checklists, visuals, timers, social stories, task breakdowns, and ways to eliminate distractions.

Skill Builder: Direction Detectives (9-12 yrs)

In a small group setting, this program teaches active listening skills and effective strategies to follow directions. Through engaging discussion and activities, we will explore helpful strategies such as checklists, visuals, timers, social stories, task breakdowns, and ways to eliminate distractions.

Skill Builder: Brick Builder (7-10 yrs)

Explore boundless creativity and fun in our brick builder program! Young builders construct imaginative worlds brick by brick, fostering teamwork and problem solving along the way. Children enhance fine motor skills as they manipulate small pieces and assemble detailed structures.

Skill Builder: Anxiety Explorers (6-9 yrs)

This engaging and interactive program fosters resilience, promotes self-care, and empowers young people to navigate anxiety with confidence. In a small group setting, learn about anxiety symptoms, understand triggers, and explore effective coping strategies.

Skill Builder: Anxiety Explorers (9-12 yrs)

This engaging and interactive program fosters resilience, promotes self-care, and empowers young people to navigate anxiety with confidence. In a small group setting, learn about anxiety symptoms, understand triggers, and explore effective coping strategies.

Skill Builder: Confidence Quest (6-9 yrs)

“Confidence Quest” is a fun and interactive program that helps kids boost their self-esteem and build confidence. Through engaging activities and games, children will learn valuable skills such as positive self-talk, embracing their unique qualities, and overcoming challenges with courage. Join us on this exciting journey of self-discovery and empowerment, where every child becomes a confident hero in their own story.

Skill Builder: Confidence Quest (9-12 yrs)

“Confidence Quest” is a fun and interactive program that helps kids boost their self-esteem and build confidence. Through engaging activities and games, children will learn valuable skills such as positive self-talk, embracing their unique qualities, and overcoming challenges with courage. Join us on this exciting journey of self-discovery and empowerment, where every child becomes a confident hero in their own story.

Skill Builder: Wellness Warriors (6-8yrs)

A safe welcoming space for children to learn about feelings, body clues, and ways to calm when having big feelings. Tools and strategies will be introduced as each child builds their own personalized ‘calm-down kit’.

Skill Builder: Wellness Warriors (9-12yrs)

A safe welcoming space for children to learn about feelings, body clues, and ways to calm when having big feelings. Tools and strategies will be introduced as each child builds their own personalized ‘calm-down kit’.

Skill Builder: Friendship Foundations (6-8 yrs)

Learn how to build and maintain friendships through engaging activities, games, and discussions. We’ll explore essential skills such as active listening, effective communication, understanding social cues, empathy, problem solving strategies, emotional regulation, co-operation, sharing and taking turns.

Skill Builder: Friendship Foundations (6-9 yrs)

Learn how to build and maintain friendships through engaging activities, games, and discussions. We’ll explore essential skills such as active listening, effective communication, understanding social cues, empathy, problem solving strategies, emotional regulation, co-operation, sharing and taking turns.

Skill Builder: Friendship Foundations (9-12 yrs)

Learn how to build and maintain friendships through engaging activities, games, and discussions. We’ll explore essential skills such as active listening, effective communication, understanding social cues, empathy, problem solving strategies, emotional regulation, co-operation, sharing and taking turns.

Non-Competitive Sports/Fitness

Skill Builder: FitQuest (6-9 yrs)

Have fun burning off extra energy while developing your skills and building confidence! Rotate through fun fitness stations and challenging obstacle courses in a supportive and non-competitive environment.

Skill Builder: FitQuest (9-14 yrs)

Have fun burning off extra energy while developing your skills and building confidence! Rotate through fun fitness stations and challenging obstacle courses in a supportive and non-competitive environment.

*NEW*

Skill Builder: Badminton / Rally Readiness (9-14 yrs)

Master fundamental skills such as proper grip, footwork, and various strokes, including serves and net play. Each session combines skill-building drills with fun games to enhance physical fitness, coordination, and game strategy.

Skill Builder: Badminton Basics (9-14 yrs)

Interactive games and activities help children learn skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. This program is perfect for those who are new to the sport or have limited experience playing badminton. Have fun while developing skills and improving confidence!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Basketball (6-8 yrs)

Interactive games and activities help children learn skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. This program is perfect for those who are new to the sport or have limited experience playing basketball. Have fun while developing skills and improving confidence!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Basketball (9-14 yrs)

Interactive games and activities help children learn skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. This program is perfect for those who are new to the sport or have limited experience playing basketball. Have fun while developing skills and improving confidence!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Soccer (6-8 yrs)

Interactive games and activities help children learn skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. This program is perfect for those who are new to the sport or have limited experience playing soccer. Have fun while developing skills and improving confidence!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Volleyball (6-8 yrs)

Interactive games and activities help children learn skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. This program is perfect for those who are new to the sport or have limited experience playing volleyball. Have fun while developing skills and improving confidence!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Volleyball (9-14 yrs)

Interactive games and activities help children learn skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. This program is perfect for those who are new to the sport or have limited experience playing volleyball! Have fun while developing skills and improving confidence.

Skill Builder: Tri-Sport (6-8 yrs)

Interactive games and activities help children learn skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. This program is perfect for those who would like to explore 3 sports – basketball, soccer, and badminton. Have fun while developing skills and improving confidence!

Skill Builder: Tri-Sport (9-14 yrs)

Interactive games and activities help children learn skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. This program is perfect for those who would like to explore 3 sports – basketball, soccer, and badminton. Have fun while developing skills and improving confidence!

I am so glad that I signed Ryker up for the Executive Functioning Skillbuilder Program at the Trico Centre. I admit that I was skeptical at first.  My son was born prematurely and has a number of delays as a result.  At age 6, we are also dealing with a new diagnosis of severe ADHD.

When I stumbled upon the Skillbuilder programs, I was intrigued.  However, I worried that Ryker wouldn’t get much out of them.  First off, I wondered how they could make executive functioning skillbuilding fun and engaging.  Moreover, with Ryker’s delays and him being at the young end of the 6-9 year old class, I worried that he would be unable to participate fully.  Ryker has never been able to participate in formal programs or class settings…

His first class blew me away!  My husband and I sat outside the class waiting for Ryker to escape (which is his usual MO).  It didn’t happen.  Not only that, we peeked in and he was SITTING CALMLY, and actually PARTICIPATING in the activities!  This may sound unimpressive to most parents, but for the parents of a kiddo with severe executive processing issues, this was astounding.  I have literally never seen him so engaged in any formalized activity.

The teacher is phenomenal.  She truly understands neurodivergence and how to adapt programming to suit the neurodiverse brain.   Each kid gets exactly what he or she needs.

The activities they do have a clear connection to lifelong skills that can help kids navigate life with executive functioning differences.  Executive functioning is a learned skill, just like any other.  Some kiddos seem to be naturally programmed to learn those skills easily while others need to work harder.  This program gives kids the tools to succeed.

I took the opportunity to sit in on a class one time when Ryker was having a particularly dysregulated day and even I felt like I had learned new skills.  I think the Skillbuilder programs are likely to pique the interest of parents with neurodiverse children, but really every parent of neurotypical children should sign their kids up too.  We love to complain that the education system fails to teach many of the “soft skills” needed to be a high-achiever, but Trico is finally doing it!

I am excited to sign Ryker up for more Skillbuilder programs in the future.

– Christine

Meet Our Instructors

Volunteers and Practicum Students