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The socialization of children is a major concern for parents of preschoolers. The main reason parents place children in preschool is to get them ready for the social aspects of school such as cooperation, taking turns and listening to the teacher. All parents want their children to be able to interact well with other children of the same age and to have friends to play with as well. Preschool can be expensive and may not be something that you are interested in for your child, but you can still get great socialization and some friends for your child through play groups. A play group is a small group of children and parents that gets together once a week to play and do activities. Sometimes, play groups double as babysitting co-op’s where one or two parents supervise the children while the other parents go out for some time to themselves to shop or run errands, etc. If you can’t find a play group to join in your area, it is simple to start your own and you are sure to find others to participate if there are no other groups around.
The first step to starting a play group is to choose a location. After you are an established group, you can take turns holding the group at alternating parents’ homes, but until then, you will need to establish a meeting place to hold your first group. You may want to choose your home or ask your local church to use one of their rooms. Be sure to outfit the location you use with plenty of toys and be sure there are adequate restroom facilities. Decide the logistics of your group or write down your ideas to discuss with the other parents at the first meeting.
You will want to target parents who have children the same age as yours, you can make flyers on your home computer or run some off on a copy machine. Grocery stores, libraries, parks, fast food restaurants, anywhere that parents and kids get together are great places to post your flyers. Include your mission and phone number and once you get enough interested parents, you can start your first play group! You may want to consider placing an ad in the community section of your newspaper or making an announcement at church or post a flyer at your pediatrician’s office.
Call your parents to get them together for the first play group at the place you have determined. Be sure to have plenty of toys, refreshments and chairs for moms and dads. Play groups usually last 2 hours, anything past that you will run the risk of tired and cranky preschoolers, not a good place to be! You can plan activities for the kids or simply leave them to their own devices. Provide coffee and something to snack on for the parents while you chat and get to know each other. Make your plans for the future and decide where your group will meet and who will be responsible for refreshments. Your play group can even plan field trips to museums or parks: use your imagination!
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