Play Groups

What is a Play Group?

A play group is a group that meets at regular times for fun activities. Traditional play groups usually feature kids of the same age group, while homeschooling groups often have a widely mixed age range. Groups sometimes are united only by age, but frequently unite because of disability, religion, special needs, or other factors.

Benefits

Most children benefit greatly from participation in a play group. Benefits include:

• Learning to share
• Learning turn-taking and cooperation
• Learning to communicate in a group
• Learning social skills
• Develop a bit of independence
• Develop motor skills
• Have fun

Group Activities

The group can be as formal or informal as the members desire. Some groups have set meeting times with structured activities, while others get together when the need arises. Common activities for groups include:

• Playing in the park
• Meeting at community centers
• Meeting at alternating member homes
• Library story times
• Meeting at restaurants for food and play
• Arts and crafts
• Museums
• Structured classes or lessons

Joining a Play Group

These groups are fairly common, especially in large cities. Although specifics vary by location, the following frequently offer children's groups:

• Churches or other religious facilities
• Homeschool groups
• Special interest groups
• Neighborhoods or subdivisions
• Special needs groups
• Mom's or dad's clubs

You can also turn to the Internet for your search:

• Yahoo groups. Visit the Group's home page and search by location.
• Meetup.com. Meetup.com is the online meeting ground for like-minded individuals. Visit the site and search for play groups in your area. You can also search by criteria, such as religion, nationality, or parenting style. For example, the site has a large amount of attachment parenting groups listed.
• Playgroup Today. This site features a searchable database of play groups. It also offers tip for group activities.

Creating Your Own

If you can't find a group that you and your children enjoy, try creating one of your own. First, think of the focus of your group: Do you want to find families in your neighborhood? Families who share your religion, culture, ethnicity, or nationality? Are you looking for groups of a particular parenting style? Once you have decided on the focus, simply find advertising venues that reach your chosen audience. Here are a few ideas:

• Place signs or posters in your place of worship.
• Put a notice on your community center bulletin board.
• Advertise in your subdivision's newsletter.
• Place a notice in local grocery stores.
• Place an ad in a newsletter or newspaper serving your intended group.
• Turn to the internet. Meetup.com, Yahoo groups, and Playgroup Today all allow users to create their own group.

Activities

At first, you'll probably want your new play group to simply meet in a park. This will give everyone-- children and parents-- the opportunity to get to know each other in a neutral, nonthreatening environment. Once you are comfortable with the group, it's a good idea to try new activities. This will ensure that group members stay interested and involved. One idea is to have meetings at member homes and to choose a weekly theme. The host of the meeting provides fun activities, such as songs, crafts, coloring pages, and snacks, within the theme. Keep the quiet, sitting time to a minimum and keep the kids actively engaged. Afterwards, they can have free time while the parents socialize or plan activities. Other ideas include:

• Pool your resources for classes. Most people have some skills that they could pass on. Have group members take turns teaching the kids specific skills, such as sign language, painting, singing, or yoga.
• Hire professionals to teach classes.
• Go to paint-your-own-pottery facilities.
• Lead the kids in age-appropriate jewelry making.
• Take a picnic.
• Visit zoos, farms, petting zoos, and nature preserves.
• Go on nature walks or hikes.
• Take day trips to kid-friendly locations.