Teens Plan Halloween Party at GiGi’s

The pinata aftermath!

The teens from Teen Tastic are at it again! This time they put on their party planning hats to plan the spookiest, scariest Halloween Party that GiGi’s Playhouse – Chicago has ever seen. Their planning began months back when they decided it was time the teens got to party it up for all the hard work they put in this past year. The members of Teen Tastic split into committees based on their interests and shared their ideas about food, music and games, and the decorations they would want to see at their party. Then, the teens engaged in some crafty piñata making for a couple of weeks to liven up the party even more.

Quincy Bane was voted by her peers to win “Best Halloween Costume” for her portrayal as a Gummy Bear!

The Halloween party took place onThursday, October 26. The teens decorated the Playhouse, played numerous party games, got their faces painted, applied some awesome temporary tattoos, voted in a costume contest, and, of course, boo-gied down to some festive music!

Emmanuel and Diego showing off their awesome costumes!

Thank you to all the parents, volunteers, and teens who made the Halloween party a smash!

Teen Tastic is an interactive and engaging program for teens ages 13 through 22.

This program is built to include teenagers with Down syndrome and those without Down syndrome. We support the development of social skills, fine motor skills, self-help skills, and language through peer to peer interaction in a casual and fun setting. This program may also support gross motor skills through active games. Teen Tastic supports the therapeutic-based development of individuals with Down syndrome and includes the following goals:
• Participants will increase social skills, with focus on group participation and increasing leisure activity options.
• An increase in language development, with focus on appropriateness, maintaining conversation and non-verbal social language.
• Gross motor skills development, with focus on general health, fitness (strength and balance), and awareness of personal space.
• An increase fine motor skills & self-help skills through participation in various activities.