One of the primary reasons mothers join GGMG is to join a playgroup. A playgroup is a 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, resulting in new friendships and a healthy, nurturing environment.
GGMG offers two types of playgroups:
For moms with new babies, it is recommended you also join a Neighborhood Meetup group which offers mixed-age playdates as well as Mom-Only get togethers in your neighborhood.
GGMG hosts Playgroup Formation events for members who would like to meet other moms with similarly aged babies between 0-12 months. At the events, GGMG volunteers will help members naturally subdivide into small playgroups based on commonalities such as neighborhood, working or stay-at-home, etc.
Ice breakers will help everyone get to know one another. Each group will leave with contact information, a set date for their next meeting, and tips on how to organize for long-term success. Mom have told us they felt unsure and nervous about meeting a new group of women, and then walked away from the Playgroup Formation event thrilled that they have a new group of friends who are in the same boat. It's like a blind date with a guaranteed match!
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 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.
If you have questions about joining a playgroup, 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.
Neighborhood Meetup groups have recurring regular playdates at a designated neighborhood playground. These recurring playdates are a great way to meet friends...and create friendships that go beyond the playground and take care of your needs as not only a mom, but as a girlfriend! The Meetup groups also host themed playdates with snacks, crafts, and fun the activities for the whole family!
These playgroups have recurring regular playdates that meet on the same day and time at a designated neighborhood playground. These recurring playdates are a great way to meet friends... and fuse friendships that go beyond the playground and take care of your needs as not only a mom, but as a girlfriend! The playgroups also have quarterly holiday-themed playdates with snacks, crafts, and fun the activities for the children!
In addition, the neighborhood meetups also have monthly mommy-only wine nights, book club meetings, game night, and movie nights! These events take care of some of our needs to engage in adult conversations that are not child-focused.
If you have questions about joining a Neighborhood Playgroup, please email playgroups@ggmg.org. We'll do our best to help you.
