Volunteer Spotlight: Amaris
Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am a Fieldwork Educator at Stark State College in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. I have the best job ever! I get to play everyday!! I have a husband named Bryan. I have 2 boys, Jayden and Parker. I also have a...
Couch to 5k
It’s time to lace up your sneakers and get moving for the GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge on Saturday, May 21st! We wanted to provide tips, recommendations, and motivation from Northwestern University Recreation to help you prepare for this year’s 5K. What is a Couch to 5K? A Couch to 5K is a training program...
Best of All: H
One of our little friends, H [redacted], has been joining us at LMNOP for a little over a year. H has grown in independence and has come a long way with her motor skills. Music is one of our favorite parts of LMNOP, however we used to have to be...
GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers & Roshambo Eyewear Partnership
Roshambo Eyewear is excited to be a contributing partner of GiGi's Playhouse nationwide. In it's new program, Roshambo will be donating 10% of all sales generated by GiGi's Playhouse facilities and members back to the non-profit every month. In addition to the donation, Roshambo will also be offering a 20% discount to GiGi's...
Teeny Tiny Pieces
"When Lucie was entering Pre-Kindergarten, I wanted her classmates to understand better why Lucie looked a little different, didn’t have many words, and might have a tougher time with learning, so I started ordering books in pursuit of the best one to share with the class. While there are a...
Volunteer Spotlight: Lisa
Tell us a little bit about yourself. I love helping people! I work as an Office Manager at CommQuest Detox. I have two therapy dogs and I test animals to be therapy animals. We have volunteered at the hospital, the library and here at the Playhouse. I have one daughter...
Best of All: Abigail
Abigail has been participating in group programs, like Friends, Fun, & Fitness, as well as in virtual literacy tutoring. Abigail has made such great progress with literacy since she began tutoring with Nikki. About their most recently completed literacy session, Nikki shared: “I don’t know if the numbers will...
COVID-19 Update: March 2022
In light of the dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases nationwide and the drop in the Omicron surge, GiGi’s Playhouse is updating its COVID protocols. As a community, we continue to be committed to minimizing the spread of illness for our Playhouse community and beyond, and support the needs of our...
Best of All: Alex
Alex started coming to Fantastic Friends in January and was excited to be back at the Playhouse for the first time since 2020. Alex was wanting to play independently and did not want to join the group at first, throwing the football with one of our program leaders in one room while...
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and WDSD
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month AND we're celebrating World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) on 3.21! We’ve compiled a list of some books that are great options to send to your child’s school about inclusion and acceptance: “You Matter” – Christian Robinson “Dreamers” – Yuyi Morales “Happy Right Now” –...
Volunteer Spotlight: Jessica
Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am from Alliance, Ohio and am the youngest of four. I am in a master’s program for occupational therapy at Walsh University. I love to sing and play piano and I enjoy spending time with my big, crazy, loud family. How did...
Playhouse Inspiration: Small Business, Big Heart
Liberty Green Quilt Shop, formerly known as JEllen's house of fabric, is an award-winning contemporary quilting boutique & “sewcial” lounge designed to tingle the heart and inspire your creative soul. Liberty Green Quilt Shop is owned and operated by Joyce Ely, parent and strong advocate for her adult daughter, Sarah,...