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GGMG Playgroups
One of the top reasons new mothers join Golden Gate Mothers Group is to join a playgroup. A playgroup is a small group of moms and their children who get together on a regular basis for play and interaction. It gives you a chance to meet, share experiences and learn from other women-adding up to newfound friendships and a healthy, nurturing environment.
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GGMG hosts monthly playgroup formation events for members who would like to meet other moms who have similar age kids. At the events, GGMG volunteers will help members naturally subdivide into small playgroups based on commonalities such as neighborhoods in San Francisco, working or stay-at-home, etc. Ice breakers will help everyone get to know each other. Each group will leave with contact information; a set date for their next meeting, and tips on how to organize for long-term success. Moms tell us they felt unsure and nervous about meeting a new group of women, and then walked away from the event thrilled that they have a new group of friends who are in the exact same boat! It's like a blind date with a guaranteed match!
Join a Playgroup!
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Special Interest Groups are groups based on moms' shared interests - sports, languages, cooking, etc. - and are like playgroups for moms! Typically these groups include mixed age children. Once the groups are formed, the members can decide when, where, and how often the group will meet. Some groups may choose to include children and families in their meetings, while others will want to keep it just for moms - it is up to each group to decide.
How do I join a Special Interest Group?
All GGMG members now have the ability to join a group online. Just go to groups.html, find the group you would like to join and click on the group's name. You will then be taken to BigTent to complete the registration process.
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PARTICIPATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT FOR SUCCESS
Once formed, GGMG Playgroups run themselves. Moms meet at each other's homes or in parks, cafes, typically for 1-2 hours. During this time, moms talk, feed babies, older children play together and learn invaluable social skills as they grow.
One thing successful playgroups all have in common is that they don't wait for someone else to engage.
We recommend setting up a consistent way to communicate and organize gatherings, such as a subgroup on Circle of Moms, a Yahoo Group, Facebook group or an email distribution list. Some playgroups have a natural leader that takes charge to organize and other playgroups take a more egalitarian approach, rotating hosting responsibility each week.
GGMG PLAYGROUPS COMMITTEE IS HERE TO HELP YOU
If you have questions about joining a group, need advice on how to handle challenges in your playgroup, or cannot make it to a playgroup formation event for one reason or another, please email playgroups@ggmg.org. We'll do our best to help you.
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