TRAIL was developed to give children with special needs the ability to play outside of a school or home setting, enjoying activities that any other child has the opportunity to experience. TRAIL provides an opportunity to build motor and social skills - areas in which special needs children often have difficulties due to not meeting all developmental milestones. Through large muscle work children tend to meet specific goals; such as increase in muscle strength, improved coordination, increased speech, and many other skills needed to have a productive adult life. TRAIL offers activities to help build these skills in a caring, fun, and safe environment.

What Is TRAIL?

TRAIL is a NH non-profit organization dedicated to teaching individuals with physical and mental disabilities the joy and excitement of playing in the outdoors. TRAIL was started in 2000 by a therapist who was playing with special children at their homes during the summer months. Parents wanted their children to be able to play with peers of their own age in activities that were challenging but necessary for a full life. As more and more parents wanted this training TRAIL developed into a full-fledged recreational program teaching both child and family how to enjoy the outdoors together. To date TRAIL has brought adventure into the lives of more than 150 children in NH & VT. TRAIL currently has many exciting activities to offer; from skiing to rock climbing and anything in between. TRAIL continues to grow with many new activities planned for the coming year.

Who is eligible for TRAIL?

TRAIL is designed for children five - eighteen who are mentally and/or physically challenged, and who are currently working with an Individual Education Program (IEP) within their school environment. As a reverse mainstreaming model, we also have a limited number of openings in our Peer program for typically developing children.