How to Start a Neighborhood Play Group

Free, unstructured play is an essential part of a child's development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play encourages normal social, emotional and cognitive development, and fitting regular play time into your child's schedule is crucial. Starting a neighborhood play group is one way to help accomplish this goal. Your child will get a chance to enjoy some free play with other children, and you can form close relationships with your neighbors and other parents while you watch your children run around, playing and giggling.

Instructions

    • 1

      Identify an age range for children in your neighborhood group. If you just had a baby, perhaps you want to form a group for children younger than 2 years, or if you have school-age children, perhaps you are interested in inviting a wider age range of children and their parents to join.

    • 2

      Talk to the neighbors up and down your street to see who has children and would be interested in meeting so the kids can play and the parents can chat. You might encourage your neighbors to ask others beyond your street, but still in your neighborhood, to invite others who are interested in joining.

    • 3

      Choose a regular play group time. If your group is for babies, a mid-morning meet time might be appropriate, while an afternoon time is more appropriate for a play group that includes children who attend school all day.

    • 4

      Select a location for your play group meetings. Perhaps you could meet at the playground during warm weather or in one of the parents' homes during cold months.

    • 5

      Advertise your neighborhood play group. Post flyers in shops in your neighborhood or post the flyers at local schools and libraries. You might also advertise your play group on the Internet so people looking to move to the neighborhood can join your group.

    • 6

      Establish rules for your play group. Perhaps you wish to ban parent conversations about money and politics, or require children to allow everyone to play no matter what. Creating rules ahead of time will let each participant know what to expect and will help cut down on conflicts among members.

    • 7

      Email or call participants each week to remind them of the upcoming play group, and of where and when the play group will meet. This is particularly important if you vary the places or times you meet.

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