Spreading Happiness One M&M Cookie at a Time!

A women holding up an M&M cookie in a bag with her arm around an older gentleman with Down syndrome.

April’s Best of All This month, we’re thrilled to recognize John Stapleton as our April Best of All! Many of you know John for his friendly smile and playful sense of humor—but did you know he’s also an amazing baker?  John’s love for baking started when he was young, learning from his mom and grandma,…

Read More

Livia’s independence Journey

One of the most rewarding parts of GiGi’s Playhouse Twin Cities is watching participants grow and gain confidence over time. Livia is a perfect example!  For the past two years, Livia has been a dedicated participant, working hard in programs like Music Therapy and LMNOP. Recently, she’s been gaining independence—and this session of Social Skills…

Read More

Celebrating Tony’s Hard-Earned Victory! 

A man with Down syndrome who is excited buying a nintendo switch

If you attended The Best of Us Gala, you may have spotted Tony greeting guests with a warm smile as he handed out nametags. But what you might not know is that Tony has been working hard toward a major personal goal—earning a Nintendo Switch!  Over the past two months, Tony has embraced new responsibilities…

Read More

Shining in the Spotlight

A girl with Down syndrome and short brown hair in a hawaiian shirt standing smiling at camera.

November’s Best of All For November’s Best of All Moment, we are excited to highlight Jordan Moore and her amazing work in our Drama Troupe program! Jordan is now in her fourth year with Drama Troupe and has truly emerged as a leader.  Nancy Houseman, one of our Drama Troupe leads, said, “Jordan has become…

Read More

Celebrating Our Participants

Recognizing Our Participants in October’s Best of All For October’s Best of All, we want to acknowledge the hard work of our participants. Many wonderful moments happen both in and outside of the Playhouse, whether it’s gaining new skills in tutoring, building confidence on stage with the Drama Troupe, trying new foods in the Kitchen,…

Read More

A Place for Friends

September’s Best of All best of all (noun) \best of all\ is continual, measurable, celebrated and it never ends. It is a daily challenge to do a little better than you did the day before and it’s always celebrated. Possible manifestations: standing just one second longer, reading just one more word, learning just one new…

Read More

Peer Role Model

In early June, we launched our Friends, Fun, and Fitness Teen program in the newly opened Fitness Room! This 4-week program was designed to test out the space and equipment and allowed us to see what worked best for our participants. The program was a great success, filled with laughter, energy, and new experiences. Among all the enthusiastic teens, one participant, in particular, stood out: Aiden.

Read More

Determined to Dance!

GiGi’s Dance Teen – May’s Best of All In this Month’s Best of All highlight we are not just featuring one of our participants but a whole program. GiGi’s Dance Teen was held on Monday nights from April 8th to May 13th. The class came about when 3 members of the Benilde St. Margaret High…

Read More

Working Towards a Dream

When you walk through the Playhouse doors on the nights when our Achievers Program is happening, you will see Benjamin working hard and giving his all, no matter what task he is doing. His enthusiasm shines through with any assignment he is given. He is excited because every time he comes to Achievers, he is working towards his dream of living independently. Benjamin has been coming to GiGi’s Playhouse Twin Cities since the opening in 2013 when he was just 10 years old. He has many fond memories at GiGi’s throughout the past 11 years.

Read More

Drew – Best of All

Meet Drew, a participant in our new GiGi’s Kitchen Kids program. With his humor and kindness, Drew lights up any room he enters. Beyond the kitchen, at GiGi’s you’ll often find him honing his basketball skills in the gym.

Read More