The Story Thus Far – Teen Tastic
Teen Tastic was the very first program to be held at GiGi’s Playhouse Portland on October 1st, 2024, and continues to be a fun and action-packed time for teens of any ability! The Olympics came to GiGi’s thanks to Teen Tastic, and our participants athletes proved their winning spirits with...
Explore Educational Excellence at the Virtual GiGi’s Educator Symposium
As our world inches closer to acceptance for all abilities, GiGi’s Playhouse continues to pave the way for progress. On March 8th, 2025, the annual GiGi’s Educator Symposium for both educators and families is coming to your screen. This free, virtual event is designed to equip participants with teaching strategies...
Spotlight: Our Friend Gleb
Gleb and his family, Alexey and Trifon. Gleb (27) and his family moved from Russia to the United States 11 years ago. They first attended Family Fun, and followed up with Fantastic Friends 3 weeks later. Gleb is nonverbal, usually does not interact much with others, and occasionally uses an...
GiGi’s Playhouse Portland’s First 100 Days…
Happy New Year from the Pacific Northwest’s First Down Syndrome Achievement Center...GiGi’s Playhouse Portland! Tabletop painting at Destination Discovery. Bowling with Teen Tastic Minute-to-Win-It at Fantastic Friends. It’s been an incredible first hundred days of serving families, raising amazing volunteers, working out the inevitable “kinks”, equipping the playhouse for...
The Story Thus Far: Fantastic Friends
Growing up doesn’t have to mean growing bored! Adults of many abilities have been making Fantastic Friends at GiGi’s Playhouse Portland an incredibly fun program. Here are some of the highlights so far: Participants and volunteers pose under the leftover Grand Opening arch at the inaugural Fantastic Friends session. At...
New Year, New Fitness Routine! GiGiFIT Kids is coming to Portland!
Let’s face it: fitness is hard to keep up on. With all of our appointments, meetings, activities, chores, and physical challenges, finding time and energy to enjoy fitness as a family can feel almost insurmountable. GiGi’s Playhouse Portland is proud to announce the launch of GiGiFIT Kids for the 2025 Spring...
American Sign Language as a Communication Support
https://youtube.com/shorts/zTdu5vdKHLs?feature=share Did you know American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most-used language in the United States? Learning word signs in ASL is a great way to widen one’s communication abilities. This is especially true for individuals with Down syndrome, who often process visual cues faster than verbal ones. Combining...
Spotlight Interview: Soraya
Soraya (left) talks with Franco Gianni (right) at the grand opening of GiGi's Playhouse Portland in September 2024. Soraya has been one of our most consistently attending participants. She is a writer, an avid reader, a coffee enthusiast, and a woman with Down syndrome. After becoming familiar with Fantastic Friends...
Program Spotlight: Ups and Downs at LMNOP
LMNOP had one of its most exciting sessions yet on November 26th! Brand new participants joined their more experienced peers for a lesson centered on the signs “Up” and “Down.” Melissa demonstrates the sign for "Kitchen." Circle time began as usual, during which Melissa from PACE Pediatric Therapy demonstrated...
Best of All Round-Up: November 2024
November was a great month for Best of All moments. These are moments that might seem insignificant, but are part of the long journey of growth that every individual goes through. Celebrating small-ish victories helps us remember that progress is often slow and almost imperceptible. Briana poses like a BTS...
Building Communication Skills in Children with Down Syndrome: What Science Tells Us
An enthusiastic mom signs "brother" with her two young children at LMNOP. A recently released research review in the International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities revealed the power of encouraging speech development early in the life of a child with Down syndrome. These researchers assert that caregivers and parents should...
GiGi’s Playhouse Celebrated its “Twenty-first” with an Amazing and Inspiring National Conference held November 6-10, 2024
Nancy Gianni dances with Ambassadors and attendees on Saturday evening. Over 350 GiGi’s Playhouse staff, board members and volunteers descended on Schaumberg, Illinois, where they were treated to inspiring stories, compelling visions, playhouse “best practices” and an overwhelming sense of inclusion in a growing and loving family. Staff and...