network with other families
Why We Run and Why You Should Too!!
Nearly four years ago, I received a prenatal diagnosis at 22 weeks that my son Cody would have Down syndrome. To say I was devasted was an understatement. I was scared and angry and did not want to be a mom of a child with special needs. I felt like my life was over as…
Read MoreKindness can be found Everywhere
Anne and Jeff were so very excited while they were expecting their first child, Holland Elizabeth. They learned their daughter had Down syndrome and immediately turned to GiGi’s Playhouse for support, but the excitement never faded. Unfortunately at 38 weeks in her mother’s womb, Holland passed away before she could take a breath in the…
Read MoreGiGi’s has made an impact that will last a lifetime
We received our official membership to the Down syndrome community on April 21, 2017. That was the day that our son Hudson entered our lives. Since that very first day, I knew that we were joining a special community full of passionate people. GiGi’s Playhouse is blessed with many of these advocates and has played…
Read More“Walking into the playhouse was truly an unforgettable experience…”
“Walking into the playhouse was truly an unforgettable experience. I was scared to “walk into” the life of DS by going to GiGi’s, even though I knew it would benefit Ian in more ways than 1. Our first day there proved that there was NOTHING scary about it. We instantly felt like family. I am…
Read MoreFall Into Acceptance: Generation G
Generation G is an ongoing journey of global acceptance. Differences do not discriminate. We are all one birth, one accident, one diagnosis or one other defining moment away from being different, or loving someone who may be different. Program achievements at GiGi’s Playhouse are great victories. These achievements do not guarantee lasting acceptance for someone with…
Read MoreWe Love Our Volunteers!
Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the 12th annual GiGi’s Playhouse 5K Run/Walk/Dash for Down Syndrome last Sunday, June 14th, 2015. we had almost 2,000 people in attendance, and even with the muddy conditions, we had a fantastic time! The day simply would not have been possible without the hard work…
Read MoreKids club meeting for mini golf 4/28
GiGi’s Playhouse Kids Club is a program for children ages 9 to 12 (roughly). We meet on the fourth Saturday morning of every month, for a variety of fun and educational activities. We are going on an outing this Saturday (4/28), if the weather cooperates! If it’s not raining, we’ll meet at Congo River inHoffman Estates, for…
Read MoreSpring has Sprung at Kids Club! Join us on Saturday, May 28!
What an amazing time we had in April….playing games, planting flowers to take home. While having all of this fun, we worked on literacy, self-expression, socialization, turn-taking, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, behavioral issues and functional skills.Kids 9-13, bring a friend from school in May, we have a very special Kids Club! We have…
Read MoreSaturday, May 14 – Crawlers Group and 2 & Under Group!
Our Crawlers Group meets on a monthly basis, from 9-9:45am. It is led by a Physical Therapist and local gymnastics teacher, and parents work with their child under supervision and are given ideas to try at home. Siblings are welcome and encouraged to attend – they can be great motivators for their brother or sister…
Read MoreCommunication Development Seminar
Tuesday, April 12 7:30pm Lora White returns to the Hoffman Playhouse! She’ll discuss: the primary concerns impacting the oral motor, feeding and communication development of the young child (birth to age 5) with Down syndrome. specific language learning concerns and strategies to improve language development home based activities to promote communication, speech and language development…
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