Photo of a family of three. All are light skinned and Mom has brown hair and is wearing glasses. Her young son is using an adapted stroller and has a tracheostomy and Mom holds his arm gently. The older sister sits behind her brother with dark hair. The whole family is smiling at the camera.

Family Activities

All activities are for children with deafblindness and their families with the exception of the Moms’ Retreat. Many of these activities are planned and funded by the Minnesota DeafBlind Project and Deafblind Services of Minnesota. We encourage families to register with the Minnesota DeafBlind Project so they can experience all activities, resources, and assistance.

Please contact Brandy Sebera, Family Engagement Coordinator, with any questions. brandy.sebera@brightworksmn.org, 612-638-1505.

Family and Intervener Appreciation Picnic

This popular event is co-hosted annually with DeafBlind Services Minnesota on the first Saturday in June. Families and interveners (school and community) are invited to enjoy activities such as caricature artists, face painting, yard games, a free catered lunch, ice cream truck goodies, and more!

During the picnic, we also appreciate outstanding people who have done exemplary work to support DeafBlind children and youth and their families by recognizing them with our Shining Star Award!

Yard Games

A bucket of sidewalk chalk and an assortment of bubbles sit in the grass near a tree.

Caricature Drawings

A caricature artist drawing of four white women smiling at the camera.

Face and Body Painting

picture of the legs of a teenage boy sitting in his wheelchair. One leg has tiger stripes and teeth painted on it.

Ice Cream Truck

A red, white and blue ice cream truck is parked outside.

Gallery of Family Past Picnics

View pictures of previous years picnics.

Family Learning Community

The Family Learning Community is a monthly virtual meeting space. It is designed specifically for Minnesota parents and caregivers of deafblind children and youth to come together. Families connect with each other and learn about a variety of DeafBlind strategies and resources. We also offer online DeafBlind learning modules so families can learn more about interveners and other DeafBlind information. These learning modules are taught in cohorts and supported by the family engagement coordinator. Click on the flyer below to learn more and register for our upcoming meetings!

Winter Party

The MN DeafBlind Project and DeafBlind Services Minnesota co-host the family and intervener winter party in January each year. It is a great time to connect with others during our long winter stretch. The party includes lots of activities, such as a photo booth, sensory activities, crafts, and a hot cocoa bar.

Dallas and Intervener

a pre-teen white boy and a young white woman with dark hair are both wearing silly hats, smiling, and standing in front of a colorful backdrop.

Photo Snowmen

Image taken in a conference room. A standing board is covered in black paper and has twinkle lights around it. There are pictures of snowmen decorated by deafblind children/youth. An inflatable snowman is to the right.

Rice Sock Snowmen

A mug with hot cocoa, mini marshmallows, candy canes and a gingerbread cookie.

Hot Cocoa Bar

Two blue bowls sit on top of a black tablecloth. In one bowl is white rice and a scoop. In the second bowl are white socks and ponytail holders. There is a sign with instructions for creating Snowman Rice Socks.

Moms’ Retreat

This weekend retreat is planned intentionally for moms who have children with combined hearing and vision loss (deafblindness). We know the dedication it takes to care for your child(ren), and we are happy to offer this weekend for moms to be the ones getting taken care of. Moms connect with other moms, have time for conversations, learn about different topics from experts, and take time to relax and have fun! Our goal is for moms to leave encouraged and recharged!

Moms’ Retreat 2024

A group of 13 women are gathered together in a lobby smiling at the camera. These are moms who attended the MN DeafBlind Project Moms Retreat.