Absolutely not! We welcome every child, regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis or not. Many families come to us seeking additional support because traditional activities like sports or ballet may not fully meet their child’s needs. Our classes offer a unique approach tailored to support each child’s individual development, ensuring they can thrive even if they struggle to follow along in other settings. Our focus is on providing a supportive environment where every child can grow, learn, and succeed, regardless of any formal diagnosis.

Our playgroups meet once a week for 60-minute sessions. This regular schedule allows children to foster relationships, build on their progress from previous sessions, and consistently practice new skills within a supportive environment.

Note: It is important to us that children are grouped according to skill level. Prior to a child joining playgroups, a screening is required to determine which group will maximize the development of each child. Screenings are 30-minutes long and are conducted by appointment only.

It’s important to remember that the core principle of Kerri’s KIds Play2learn is flexibility and following the child’s lead. This means there’s no single “typical” session, as they are always evolving based on the children present and their current interests. However, here’s a general idea of what you can expect in our playgroups:

Structure (with a lot of flexibility!)

• • Warm-up/Free Play: The session always begins with some time for free play as children arrive and settle in. Play is the foundation of learning. During free play, your child will have the opportunity to explore, create, and interact with peers. This unstructured time fosters creativity, imagination, and the development of social skills.
  • Circle Time: Your child will have the opportunity to greet all their peers and teachers. This time is not only a chance for social interaction but also a valuable moment for language development. 
  • Music Time: Our music time is not only about tons of fun but also about building language  skills through rhythm, melody and movement. Your child will learn new songs and enjoy the benefits of musical expression.
  • Instructional Snack: We believe in the power of learning through all aspects of play, including snack time! Our instructional snack sessions will be a chance for your child to explore new tastes while engaging in conversation and language development.
  • Transition Time: Smooth transitions are key to a successful playgroup experience. We’ve incorporated transition times between activities to help your child learn to move seamlessly from one task to another, promoting focus and flexibility.

Possible Activities

Again, these will vary greatly, but could include:

• • Sensory Exploration: Bins filled with rice, sand, water play, etc.
  • Symbolic Play: Play kitchens, dress-up, toy cars, dolls, etc.
  • Building & Construction: Blocks, simple crafts, playdough.
  • Movement Activities: Songs with actions, dancing, obstacle courses (if space allows).
  • Art Activity: Activities are  designed to encourage creative expression while addressing developmental goals. Themes may vary depending on the season or month, incorporating relevant topics such as seasons, holidays, or cultural celebrations. Activities aim to promote social-emotional growth, communication skills, and sensory integration in a supportive and engaging environment tailored to each child’s individual interests and needs.

The Specialist’s Role

The key is that our specialist isn’t directing playtime. Instead, they will:

• • Observe and follow the children’s interests.
  • Introduce new elements within child-led play to expand their communication and social skills.
  • Model interaction and language.
  • Gently encourage turn-taking and sharing.
  • Celebrate children’s efforts and engagement.

• Focused Attention: With only 3-4 students, our specialists can devote significant individual attention to each child. This allows them to tailor interactions, activities, and challenges specifically to your child’s current developmental level and needs.
• Reduced Overstimulation: Children with sensitivities, or who easily become overwhelmed in large groups, thrive in a smaller setting. This creates a calmer, less chaotic environment and allows them to feel safer and more comfortable.
• Intense Social Interactions: A small group setting still provides essential opportunities for social interaction but in a way that’s less overwhelming. Children have more chances to meaningfully engage with each other, practice communication, and build relationships at a manageable pace.
• Opportunities for Leadership: With fewer children, your child has more chances to initiate activities, lead play, and take turns expressing themselves. This sense of agency boosts their confidence and participation.
• Tailored Facilitation: Our specialists can quickly adapt the playgroup’s direction based on the specific children present. We can more easily cater activities to the group’s emerging interests and ensure everyone feels included and engaged.

Here’s how children are typically matched in our playgroups:

Primary Consideration: 

• Developmental Level The most important factor is matching children based on their overall developmental levels, particularly in the areas of social interaction, communication, and emotional regulation. This means children might be grouped across slightly different ages if they are working on similar skills.

Secondary Considerations:

• Age: While not the primary factor, age may be considered to ensure the children are within a similar developmental range. This can prevent situations of a much older child dominating play or a younger one being left behind.
• Ability Levels: Children are matched so that their overall skills are relatively similar. This prevents frustration and allows for meaningful peer interactions.
• Specific Needs: In some cases, playgroups might be formed with children who have similar diagnoses or challenges (for example, a playgroup focused on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder). This can create opportunities for peer learning and understanding.

It’s important to remember that our playgroups emphasize individualized attention. While the group is designed to be well-matched, our specialists will continue to tailor their interactions to each child’s unique needs even within the playgroup setting.

Absolutely! Our small group setting allows us to effectively target all abilities. While each child within our groups may have a similar developmental skill set, we understand that every child is unique and may have individual goals. Our playgroup activities are designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing us to modify them to target your child’s specific developmental goals. Whether it’s language development, social skills, sensory integration, or any other area of focus. Our team  is dedicated to providing support tailored to your child’s needs. We prioritize individualized attention and strive to create an environment where every child can make progress and reach their full potential, whic

• Small Group Size: With only 3-4 students in the class, our specialists have the bandwidth to provide focused support and interaction tailored to your child’s unique needs.
• Child-Led Approach: The essence of the DIR Floortime approach in our playgroups is following the child’s lead. This means our specialists will engage deeply with your child’s individual interests and play style, fostering one-on-one bonds and developmental support.
• Intentional Observation: Even when working with other children, our specialists are constantly observing and assessing each individual. The small group setting allows us to quickly identify your child’s specific needs, and adjust play scenarios to target those areas.
• Adaptable Activities: Playgroup activities can be fluid and customized. If one of our specialists sees your child struggling or becoming disengaged, they can modify the play, create breakout moments for focused work, or introduce new elements to pique your child’s interest.

Here are the key ways in which our specialists guide children’s interactions and development within our playgroups:

• Joining the Child’s World: Our specialists begin by carefully observing the child, entering their play space, and following their lead. This means getting down on the child’s level (literally and figuratively) and mirroring their interests and actions.
• Expanding Play: Our specialists gradually expand the child’s play and interactions. They introduce new elements, challenges, or playful scenarios while remaining attuned to the child’s emotional responses and engagement.
• Promoting Communication: Our specialists constantly create opportunities for communication. This might include commenting on the child’s actions, asking open-ended questions, using playful sounds, or exaggerating gestures or facial expressions.
• Shared Affect: Our specialists focus on joyful engagement and shared positive emotions. They aim to create moments of connection where the child feels seen and understood, building a foundation of trust and enjoyment in interaction.
• Gentle Challenges: Throughout playtime, our specialists introduce manageable challenges that push the child’s current developmental boundaries. This might involve adding a new step to a familiar game, encouraging turn-taking, or offering slightly more complex language to model.
• Adapting to Individual Needs: Crucially, our skilled specialists always tailor their approach to each child in the group. They recognize that each child has different strengths, interests, and attention spans, adjusting their interactions accordingly.

Key Point: The specialist’s role is not to impose a lesson plan but to create a playful and responsive environment where children feel encouraged to explore, interact, and grow at their own pace.

• Increased Engagement: Does your child seem eager to attend the playgroups? Do they actively participate in activities, demonstrate playfulness, and show interest in their peers?
• Improved Communication: You might see increased attempts at interaction, whether verbal or non-verbal. This could include more eye contact, gestures, vocalizations, or even an increase in words or phrases.
• Developing Social Skills: Look for small but significant changes like sharing toys, taking turns, noticing the emotions of others, or demonstrating empathy.
• Positive Emotional Shifts: Does your child seem happier or more relaxed after playgroup sessions? Decreases in tantrums or signs of agitation at home can also indicate positive changes.
• Generalization of Skills: Keep an eye out for whether your child is starting to apply skills learned in playgroup to other settings. This could be initiating play with siblings or trying new communication strategies at home.

• Not an Either/Or: DIR Floortime and ABA are sometimes used in combination with each other, creating a blend that leverages the strengths of both approaches.
• Evolving Therapies: Both DIR Floortime and ABA continue to evolve, and there can be variation in how they are practiced.
• Choosing the Right Fit: The best approach for a child depends on their individual needs, learning style, and the family’s preferences.

• Therapeutic Focus: Primarily a therapeutic approach aimed at children with developmental challenges, particularly addressing social, emotional, and communication development.
• Child-Led: Centers on following the child’s natural interests and cues during play. Specialists adapt activities and interactions based on the child’s current developmental level.
• Emphasis on Relationships: Prioritizes the bond between the child and caregiver or specialists as the foundation for learning.
• Play as the Primary Tool: Playful interactions are the main vehicle for fostering communication, emotional regulation, and social skills.

• Educational Philosophy: A comprehensive educational approach designed to support a child’s natural development in all areas, including physical, intellectual, social, and emotional.
• Prepared Environment: Focuses on a carefully designed classroom with specific materials that allow children to explore and learn through self-direction.
• Emphasis on Independence: Encourages children to learn through discovery and problem-solving, fostering independence and self-reliance.
• Mixed Age Groups: Classrooms often include mixed ages, promoting peer-learning and social development.

• Target: DIR Floortime is primarily for children with developmental differences, while Montessori is a broad educational philosophy applicable to all children.
• Structure: DIR Floortime is less structured, with play and interactions guided by the child. Montessori provides a carefully prepared environment and structured learning materials.
• Role of the Adult: In DIR Floortime, the adult actively engages in play to foster development. In Montessori, the adult is primarily an observer and guide, facilitating the child’s self-directed learning.

How our playgroups help your child transition to preschool: 

• Learning the Approach: Take time to understand the core principles of DIR Floortime. This will help you recognize the goals we are working towards and reinforce those same techniques at home.
• Observation and Collaboration: Discuss your child’s development with our specialists after every session. We will provide insights and urge you to ask questions about how to support your child.
• Practice at Home: The true power of our playgroups lie in bringing it into your daily interactions. Ask our specialists for suggestions on how to play with your child in a way that reinforces the developmental skills targeted in the playgroup.
• Advocating for Your Child: You are your child’s biggest champion! Share your observations about your child’s interests, strengths, and challenges with our playgroup specialists. Together, you can create a more personalized and supportive experience.
• Caring for Yourself: Parenting a child with developmental differences can be challenging. Make sure to take care of your own well-being, so you can best support your child.

Absolutely! Each family receives a comprehensive resource guidebook tailored to support activities at home. This guidebook includes detailed information and instructions to facilitate follow-through with the activities practiced in class. It covers a range of topics, such as songs sung during class sessions, language cues used by instructors, and specific strategies to reinforce learning and development outside of the classroom setting. By providing these resources, we aim to empower families to continue the learning journey at home, fostering consistency and continuity in their child’s growth and progress.

Children experiencing developmental delays, regardless of specific diagnosis, can benefit significantly from our playgroup. We believe that every child has unique strengths and challenges, and our approach focuses on individualized support tailored to each child’s developmental skill set, rather than solely their age. Children are grouped according to their developmental abilities, ensuring that each child receives appropriate support and challenges within the group setting. At Kerri’s Kids Play2learn it is important to remember that we  provide a supportive environment where children can thrive socially, emotionally, and cognitively. We welcome children with various diagnoses or challenges, recognizing that effective intervention and support can positively impact their growth and progress. Our goal is to create an inclusive and nurturing space where all children can flourish and reach their full potential, regardless of their specific circumstances.

 Absolutely! Our playgroup environment is designed to be adaptable and accommodating for children with sensory sensitivities. Sensory sensitivities refer to heightened or altered responses to sensory stimuli like touch, sound, taste, smell, or visual input. We understand that every child is unique, and we strive to create a supportive atmosphere where all children can feel comfortable and engaged. Our specialists are  trained to recognize and respond to sensory needs, and we offer a variety of sensory-friendly activities and materials to ensure that all children can participate fully and enjoy our sessions. Some activity ideas include sensory bins, quiet corners, visual schedules, calming activities, sensory-friendly art, sensory breaks, and sensory-friendly materials. By incorporating these activities and strategies, we aim to create an inclusive environment where all children feel supported and can participate comfortably in our playgroup sessions

Absolutely! We believe in the importance of collaboration with all professionals involved in your child’s care. If your child attends a school setting, their teacher will provide you with a consent form. This form grants permission for outside educators, like us, to communicate openly with them. This allows us to work together effectively to support your child’s development. By working together as a team, we can better understand your child’s needs, provide consistent support, and maximize their progress both in our playgroup and beyond.