Playgroups offer socialization and activities for young children

A gaming group at the Play ADK Clubhouse. (Photo provided)

For the publisher:

Physical activity and socialization are two of the most important aspects of early childhood development. Fortunately for Franklin County families, several community organizations now offer free playgroups for infants and toddlers ages 0-3 and their caregivers.

Heart Network’s Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) program works with schools, communities and workplaces in Franklin County to increase access to healthy food and physical activity opportunities. Part of this work includes an early childhood component through our partnership with the Child Care Coordating Council of the North Country (CCCCNC).

Learning and exploring through play are essential to the physical and emotional development of young children. When these activities are done in a group with other children of the same age, they also promote socialization and build self-confidence. That’s why programs like infant and toddler playgroups are so important.

Franklin County communities have seen an increase in infant and toddler playgroups in recent years. CCCCNC has a long history of offering this type of program and currently holds playgroups Monday through Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at its Families R Us location in Malone. These sessions are for all ages, but primarily for children ages 0-5. CCCCNC also offers a playgroup at Saranac Lake Baptist Church every Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to noon, an outpost of the Tupper Lake Family Matters Resource Center.

In downtown Saranac Lake, Play ADK offers playgroups for infants and toddlers at its clubhouse. Both organizations employ experienced coordinators to facilitate the activities. For more information, visit ccccnc.org/families-r-us-malone and playadk.org/clubhouse.

Elsewhere in Franklin County, organizations and businesses including North Country Community College, the Saranac Lake Free Library, the Dance Sanctuary and the Saranac Lake Youth Soccer Association offer programs that encourage physical activity and social interaction for children up to age 5.

To learn more about resources for families with young children in upstate New York, visit the Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance: contact Kate Ryan at [email protected] or visit adirondackbt3.org. To learn more about CHSC’s early childhood programs, contact us anytime: [email protected].

Arriana Patraw

Project Coordinator, The Heart Network

Saranac Lake

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