GiGi Prep Restaurant week was MAGICAL!

What happens when you combine 9 joy filled GiGi’s Playhouse adults, road trips, new restaurants and new learning? MAGIC!   June’s adult summer program week, Restaurant Week, was nothing short of magical.  It contained huge amounts of laughter, learning and fun, and all who participated cannot wait to do it all again.

Restaurant Week was designed to increase our participants independence while dining out at a sit-down restaurant, or a fast food restaurant.  Each day started with a mini-lesson in the GiGiU classroom.  Topics such as sections of the menu, making a good meal choice, speaking to the waiter/waitress, using good table manners, etc, were introduced and practiced.  After the mini lesson was completed, participants and chaperones piled into cars for short (but hilarious – think loud music, singing and interesting topics of conversation!) road trips to the restaurant of choice each day.  During each restaurant experience, participants practiced their newly acquired skills and every day, they were AMAZING!  Everyone ate something new each day.  Everyone ordered their own food.  Everyone stared or participated in fantastic table conversation.  Everyone put napkins in their lap, used appropriate manners and thanked our hosts.  It was magical! 

Restaurant Week was a huge success. When great people come together to share a meal, and enjoy each other’s company, it’s nothing short of BIG fun!

Kim, is our fabulous director of GiGi Prep/GiGi U. She brings such dedication and passion. Our adults thoroughly enjoy being in her presence and discovering their potential through courses like GiGi Prep. We are always looking for volunteers to help Kim with writing/planning/and implementing our GiGi Prep program. If this is something you are interested in please email cmoore@gigisplayhouse.org. Thank you to everyone who gives their time and extra love to our kiddos, we truly are changing the way the world sees Down syndrome. We are so proud of our adults and all they are accomplishing by setting goals and working very hard to achieve them.