Sign up for the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program at GiGi’s Playhouse Madison

Sign up for the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program here at the Playhouse!

The program will be Mondays and Thursdays from 1:30 to 2:15pm here at the Playhouse.

The program will start June 12^th and will end July 6^th. Registration required because of limited availability.

Please follow this link to sign up via sign-up genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e48aea822aaff2-special

Young Athletes™(YA) introduces children, ages 2 – 7, both with and without intellectual disabilities, and their families to the world of Special Olympics by pursuing program goals.

Program Goals

• Engage childrenwith intellectual disabilities through developmentally appropriate play activities designed to foster physical, intellectual and social development;
• Welcome family membersof children with intellectual disabilities to the Special Olympics network of support;
• Raise awarenessabout the abilities of children with intellectual disabilities through inclusive peer participation, demonstrations and other events.

Young Athletes™ is a versatile program that is designed for families to play with their young athletes at home in a fun atmosphere but is also appropriate for preschools, schools and playgroups. The benefits for this program have been proven worldwide. First and foremost, these activities will help the children improve physically, intellectually and socially. The flexibility of Young Athletes™ ensures the opportunity to welcome families and their young children to the Special Olympics family.

This program is designed to address two specific levels of play:

• Level 1includes physical activities focused on developing fundamental motor tracking and eye-hand coordination.
• Level 2concentrates on the application of these physical activities through a sports skills activity program and developing skills consistent with Special Olympics sports play. The activities consist of foundational skills, walking and running, balance and jumping, trapping and catching, throwing, striking, kicking and advanced skills.