Posts by aflores

GiGi’s Playhouse Hoffman Estates is proud to share our heartfelt gratitude to the Chicago White Sox for inviting our community to the Grantee Game and for the incredible support they have shown to GiGi’s Playhouse. Our participants, families, and team were thrilled to be part of this special experience. The opportunity to spend time at…

For the past 10 years, GiGi’s Playhouse has been a second home for the Dallmeyer family. Their son KC and his twin sister Catherine first entered our doors at just 6 weeks old, during a time filled with uncertainty, exhaustion, and overwhelming emotions following KC’s surprise diagnosis of Down syndrome. Colleen, KC’s mom, said: “We…

At GiGi’s Playhouse Hoffman Estates, we celebrate every milestone—big or small—because we know each step represents growth, confidence, and opportunity. Recently, Zac achieved an exciting milestone on his journey toward independence, and we couldn’t be prouder. For the very first time, Zac took an Uber all on his own to attend his Career Program at…

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we know that every family is unique—and every child learns best when they feel supported, celebrated, and included. That’s why we are proud to offer LMNOP (Language, Music, N’ Our Peeps) in Spanish, a program that brings babies and toddlers with Down syndrome and their families together through music, movement, and community.…

Are you ready to groove and get fit? Well, Sabrina and Rachel certainly are! These dedicated volunteers have generously committed their Wednesday evenings to spearhead our exciting new program—Adult Dance! Let’s get to know the dynamic duo bringing the rhythm to GiGi’s Playhouse Hoffman Estates.  Sabrina, a seasoned veteran of the Playhouse, brings a wealth…

If you’ve been to Hugs & Mugs in the last few years, chances are you’ve met Mitchell. Mitchell has been coming to GiGi’s Playhouse since the very beginning, aka almost 20 years! Like all of our interns, Mitchell made his way through the career programs, starting off in GiGi Prep, then graduating GiGiU. Besides Hugs…

A Mother’s Story When I was pregnant with Nicole, I did not know that I was going to have a child born with Down syndrome. After she was born, the doctor came into my room and said, “You have a Mongoloid.” I said, “What? A Mongoloid?” And he said, “Yes.” He did not say “Down…

We are so excited to welcome Jackie to the Hoffman Estates playhouse as a summer intern focusing on Social Media. If you see Jackie around the playhouse and in programs give her a warm welcome! “Hello! I am a student studying Digital Marketing at DePaul University in Chicago and am very excited to be a…

“Carolyn has made great strides in speech. I have been seeing her for a few months. We’re working on expanding sentence length – to do this, it really works to engage Carolyn in tasks that challenge her cognitively, as her receptive language is very strong. Carolyn loves a good challenge! We work on “language puzzles”…