kids of all ages
Lots of Love in a Small Town
My name is Hurain, and I am very lucky to have a brother with Down syndrome named Amad. He is incredibly special to me and has introduced me to a side of myself I might’ve never met. I am also lucky to work for GiGi’s Playhouse and be a part of this family. I am…
Read MoreSkip the Sippy!
The sippy has so many wonderful features… mainly its convenience! It’s spill-proof, easy to carry for your child, can be taken on the go, and is practically indestructible from all the tosses, bumps, and drops it encounters daily. Now when the professionals (typically dentists, speech language pathologists, and pediatricians) are telling you to toss the…
Read MoreA Great Night’s Sleep is Possible!
Sleep is important for any child, but for your little one with Down syndrome, it’s especially important! Sleep is actually a vital process for brain growth and development. It’s your child’s time to process, organize and store all the information they learned that day. In addition, sleep is vital for hormone balance, physical growth, immunity…
Read MoreWhy is Speech Therapy Important?
Why is speech therapy important? I get this question quite often. The answer is VERY! The importance and value of speech in all individuals cannot be underestimated. Do you remember playing the game of telephone as a kid? Hoping the message wouldn’t get garbled up along the way? You wanted your message to be clear.…
Read MoreOne Million Voices? It IS possible!
When I think about reaching one million voices, I literally get sick to my stomach thinking, how are we going to make this happen??? It’s impossible! Then I think back to the very first Playhouse and I remember multiple people asking if they could open one. More than one?? I can’t even handle this one,…
Read MoreBack-to-School Speech Tips!
One of the biggest questions parents ask is, “What can I do to help my child’s speech and language development?”. There are many books, apps, and language learning toys that can be recommended; however, the most important way to expand speech and language skills is throughout naturalistic play!! It’s not about the toys you play…
Read MoreMy Experience as a Literacy Tutor!
My name is Gene and I wanted to share a little bit about my experience as a literacy tutor at GiGi’s Playhouse Hoffman Estates. I have spent almost 30 hours so far working with Chris. Chris is an adult student that I work with in literacy every week. At first, Chris was a very slow…
Read MoreArticulation Station APP!
Are you looking for a fun, practical way for your child to practice his or her speech sounds? Well, look no further! Our on-staff SLP, Sarah Buti, has just the app for you. Created by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Articulation Station is a full featured articulation application to help children as well as adults learn…
Read MoreA Perfect Tutoring Match!
We are so grateful that our daughter Annabelle is able to attend tutoring at GiGi’s Playhouse Hoffman Estates Annabelle participates in literacy tutoring once a week with her tutor, Mr. Brian. We love Mr. Brian, especially Annabelle. She looks forward to coming to tutoring every Saturday morning. Mr. Brian is so engaged with his students…
Read MoreGiGi’s Playhouse was the perfect fit!
My name is Francesca Lenzi and I learned about GiGi’s Playhouse through my cousin. My cousin had been connected with GiGi’s because their family friend’s son has gone to GiGi’s since he was young. I participated in the 5k when I was younger and I am currently a program volunteer as the coach of two…
Read More