THE PLAYGROUNDgr

The benefits of outside play are life changing!!!! Join us each Monday for outside play reminders.

"Water is fascinating, fun, and multifaceted.
Children can play with it endlessly. But play, for play’s sake, is not water’s only value (Crosser, 1994, Tovey, 1993). Indeed, water play is a compelling focus of study for young children (Chalufour & Worth, 2005)."
https://www.hookedonscience.org/files/Science_Concepts_Young_Children_Learn_Through_Water_Play_Carol_M_Gross.pdf

And PLAY!

Now go, go, go & PLAY!

THE PLAYGROUNDgr provides play therapy based support at AYA Youth Collective. We love sharing this space on Tuesdays!

Did you know that play in the work place increase production by 30%. Join us in learning more...

https://theplaygroundgr.org/play-in-the-workplace

Vote for us!

CommunityVotes Grand Rapids 2024 Official 2024 Community Voting Awards Platform for Grand Rapids, MI. Where the community votes for their favorites every year.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

THE PLAYGROUNDgr is finalizing our planning for GRAND RAPIDS PLAYS on September 21, 2024 and looking for TEN volunteers between the ages of 13 - 125.

Interested in being more involved?

Thank you to an all star volunteer team for ensuring THE PLAYGROUNDgr Camp was an emotionally healthy, safe and all around playful experience!

At THE PLAYGROUNgr we believe play heals!

Thank you to our camp partner ICCF Community Homes!

THE PLAYGROUNDgr and ICCF Community Homes came together for our first ever PLAY THERAPY inspired FREE Neighborhood Camp for youth entering kindergarten through 6th grade!

Today was our last day of camp. Together we explored our emotions through Limbic & Cortical Brain Play through exploring expression of feelings through art with Edwin D. Anderson, and sand trays with Executive Director Jacqueline Bennett-Scherer, Registered Play Therapist ™️

Thank you to the fifteen volunteers and staff members who joined together to make today possible!!!!

Special thanks to DJ Monk, Teknique Academy and our artist community who joined us for an edxtrodinary end of camp afternoon!

Thank you to Tastee Waze for joining us with an ICECREAM celebration for ALL!!!!!!

At THE PLAYGROUNDgr we believe play heals! It was the entire community, amazing families, campers, and our All Star partner Antwan Brown of ICCF Community Homes that ensured each day offered the emotional health benefits of play.

THANK YOU TO AN ALL STAR TEAM!

Because playing and shoes often go hand in hand, we are especially grateful to a local donor who provided new shoes to every camper!

THANK YOU!!!!

Special thank you to the Kent County Sheriff's Office for joining us at THE PLAYGROUNDgr Camp this week! Your presense was appreciated and we all learned a lot about community.

THE PLAYGROUNDgr and ICCF Community Homes came together for our first ever PLAY THERAPY inspired FREE Neighborhood Camp for youth entering kindergarten through 6th grade!

Today we explored our emotions through Limbic Brain Play through exploring expression of feelings through break dancing with Teknique Academy and emotional wellness with Parkside Farms theraputic pigme goats.

Emotional regulation based play and limbic based creations were led by Registered Play Therapist ™️ Jacqueline Bennett-Scherer.

Thank you to the fifteen volunteers and staff members who joined together to make today possible!!!!

See you all tomorrow as we celebrate a successful camp experience with artist Edwin D. Anderson and DJ Monk.

Special thanks to an anonymous donor who gifted new tennis shoes to each camper!

THE PLAYGROUNDgr and ICCF Community Homes came together for our first ever PLAY THERAPY inspired FREE Neighborhood Camp for youth entering kindergarten through 6th grade!

Today we explored our Body Regulation through circus arts with Sierra Hatfield and Cirque Bouclé!

Body regulation based play and limbic based art were led by Registered Play Therapist ™️ Jacqueline Bennett-Scherer

Additional thanks to Martel Posse for teaching bike safety and our local sherif department for the opportunity to explore safety in our community.

Thank you to the sixteen volunteers and staff members who joined together to make today possible!!!!

See you all tomorrow as we explore feelings through limbic based play with Teknique Academy as we learn break dancing!

Kudos to the The Candied Yam for an amazing camp lunch!!!!!

THE PLAYGROUNDgr and ICCF Community Homes came together for our first ever PLAY THERAPY inspired FREE Neighborhood Camp for youth entering kindergarten through 6th grade!

Today we explored our BREATHE through yoga, supported by Full Bloom Children's Yoga and Mindfulness!

Mindfulness play, bubble work, breathe art and breathing strategies were led by Executive Director, and Registered Play Therapist ™️ Jacqueline Bennett-Scherer.

Thank you to the sixteen volunteers and staff members who joined together to make today possible!!!!

See you all tomorrow as we explore body regulation and midbrain play with Sierra Hatfield! We can't wait to learn Circus Arts!!!!!!!

At THE PLAYGROUNDgr we co-regulate through PLAY!

Learn more:
Theplaygroundgr.org

Thank you ICCF Community Homes & Everything Ink for ensuring every camper and camp volunteer had EVERYTHING they needed for today's first day of camp!!!!!

Each camper was gifted a camp bag, new reusable water bottle and a camp shirt!!!!

THE PLAYGROUNDgr and ICCF Community Homes came together for our first ever PLAY THERAPY inspired FREE Neighborhood Camp for youth entering kindergarten through 6th grade!

Today we explored our strengths through drumming, supported and led by Josh Dunigan; thank you Josh!!!!!

Clay Sensory work was led by Executive Director, and Registered Play Therapist ™️ Jacqueline Scherer.

Thank you to the fourteen team members who made today possible!!!!

See you all tomorrow as we explore body regulation and breathe with Full Bloom Children's Yoga and Mindfulness and breathe art with THE PLAYGROUNDgr Executive Director, Registered Play Therapist, ™️ Jacqueline Bennett-Scherer.

Who's drumming with us?

Thank you to our nine newest volunteers for joining us for our first THE PLAYGROUNDgr Volunteer Orientation!!!!

Interested in becoming a volunteer ?

Our next THE PLAYGROUNDgr Volunteer Orientation is September 18 at 6:15pm over zoom!

Email us to learn more: [email protected]

Learn more at: theplaygroundgr.org

THE PLAYGROUNDgr offers our first and annual play therapy based camp next week! Thank you to our sponsor ICCF Community Homes!

We are thrilled to have so many experts joining us to support midbrain and limbic based play!

Though camp is full, everyone is welcome to join us from 1pm to 4pm for Community Engagement!!!

Thank you to our community partners: Smoove design , Edwin D. Anderson , Josh Dunigan , DJ Monk, Parkside Farms and Martel Posse!

No RSVP needed, come and PLAY!

It's our responsibility to celebrate, learn and role model!

Learn more ⏬️

https://www.portdiscovery.org/teaching-your-kids-about-juneteenth-the-reponsibility-the-importance-and-the-meaning/

Thank you for nominating THE PLAYGROUNDgr !

Votes are open!

CommunityVotes Grand Rapids 2024 Official 2024 Community Voting Awards Platform for Grand Rapids, MI. Where the community votes for their favorites every year.

Join us TODAY as we celebrate Juneteenth with our community partner Teknique Academy !!!!!!

Did you miss our FREE Friday reminder ? We did!
We are excited about this FREE opportunity; 41nd Annual Homecoming of the Three Fires!

Learn more:
https://www.experiencegr.com/event/homecoming-of-the-three-fires-pow-wow/85471/

THANK YOU TO OUR THE PLAYGROUNDgr community who joined us in celebrating the opening night of Emotional Odyssey: Inside Out 2 VIP Movie Premier!

Special thanks for our sponsors: ICCF Community Homes, Celebration Cinema and Good Vibes Glasses! Additional appreciation to our community partners: Wimee, Arbor Circle, Samaritas, GRPS Family and Community Engagement, Michigan Association for Play Therapy, Community Of Hearts, The Candied Yam, Pink Lounge: Dry Salt Therapy and our THE PLAYGROUNDgr Board and volunteers!

Learn more about THE PLAYGROUNDgr at:
Theplaygroundgr.org

Photo Credits: Mo'photography LLC