Wisconsin Stories
By Michaela Wagner Wisconsin is home to many wonderful things such as Summerfest, cheese, brats and the great outdoors. Wisconsin is also home to two GiGi's Playhouses, the Madison location and the Milwaukee location. Here at Milwaukee we LOVE to share up lifting news and heartfelt stories with you, our readers. Sticking...
october 1 begins down syndrome “awareness” month but awareness is not nearly enough.
By: GiGi's Playhouse INC Awareness is simply acknowledging an existence, a challenge, etc. Human beings are so more than an existence or a challenge. Acceptance is an ACTION and a commitment to extend consistent value, approval, and empowerment. I’m very fortunate to work at GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers and...
Ten Questions You Always Wanted to Ask a Person with Down Syndrome
By Johannes Musial Jonas is 22 now and lives with his parents in the town of Rangsdorf, just outside Berlin. He used to want to be James Bond or a paleontologist, but after doing an internship at Berlin's RambaZamba theater, he grew passionate about acting. Since then, he's appeared in...
MY SON, BIG-C, HAS DOWN SYNDROME
by: Kim My husband and I were expecting our second son. I was pregnant and enjoying my pregnancy. This pregnancy was different from my last in that my leg cramps at night were so much worse, I wasn’t able to rest as much ( I was chasing my first born...
GiGi’s Playhouse Tinley Park- A Follow up about Jeff
At almost 40 years old, Jeff’s dream is to get a job at McDonald’s. His sister brought him to GiGi’s for literacy tutoring in an attempt to retrieve some dormant skills. From day one, Jeff has come to weekly tutoring with a pen in his pocket and a smile on...
Best of All Moments
BEST OF ALL is the daily challenge to do a little better than you did the day before. It is continual, measurable, celebrated and it never ends. I have asked some of our families to share their best of all moment with us and here are their stories: Brittany and Ethan:...
five instructional strategies for children with down syndrome
Children with Down syndrome are capable learners who are excited and eager to learn. They just need to be given the opportunity to excel. They may learn at a slower pace, but are more than capable of learning. They are strong visual learners. This means that they understand what they...
july programming!
We have a few new programs this month!! "Field Day on the West Side!" On Monday, July 11 between 10-3, we will have a Play Date at Malone Park All Abilities Playground in New Berlin https://www.playgroundatmalone.org/. Pack a lunch, bring some friends and see you then! "Adventures in Play" will be...
have you heard the news? we have a hero among us!
mom of GiGi and founder of GiGi's Playhouse was just named a "2016 CNN HERO!" check this out --> https://gigisplayhouse.org/cnnheroes CONGRATULATIONS NANCY GIANNA AND THE ENTIRE GIGI'S PLAYHOUSE NETWORK!
it’s spring… i think!?
milwaukeeans. one day it's 70 degrees and the next there's a frost advisory. and while we've heard all the weather cliches and complaints there is to hear, we live here and it happens every year. this may sorta be how some parents of children with Ds feel. while we know...
gala tickets for sale!
We hope you come celebrate with us at our annual Gala, our largest fundraiser for the Playhouse. One of our goals is to keep our programming FREE for the community so that all can enjoy the magic of our Playhouse. To purchase your Gala tickets or to sponsor our Gala,...
sick season and silent auction
You may think what does "sick season" and "silent auction" have to do with each other? Well, they don't. But I have Momsy brain and am trying to multi-task at work today. Since the beginning of December, someone in my household has been sick. Sweet Downsy was hospitalized with respiratory...