Every week, we host Simple Gift Schoolhouse Pop-Up Playgroups at sites across the Pikes Peak region, and sometimes beyond. Every week, we share creative, high-quality learning experiences with young children from birth to age five and the people who care for them: mothers, fathers, grandmothers, nannies, and even the occasional uncle.
These sessions are free, and they're joyful. They're also very intentional. To the casual observer, a playgroup might look a bit like happy chaos. That's by design. Every song, story, and activity is built to engage tactile, cognitive, social-emotional, spatial, numeracy, and phonemic awareness skills, along with large and small motor development. You'd never know it, and we work hard to make sure it never feels like a classroom. But it is one.
I have the privilege of leading these sessions alongside my daughter, Christina, who grew up with this programming. It has been my life's work, developed over more than 25 years alongside experts, educators, industry partners, and families. It continues to evolve because we work hard to stay informed and relevant.
All of this is to say: I wish you could see what I see from behind the piano.
It is extraordinary. Mothers bring babies as young as 10 days old, and I get to watch those children grow – socially, musically, and cognitively – week after week. I see caregivers share that magical moment when a child suddenly gets it. It's the "aha!" that makes your heart skip a beat, especially when the child delights in their own new ability.
From my seat at the piano, I'm often the only one positioned to see it all, and sometimes I laugh out loud at the pure delight of accomplishment and the pride of understanding on those small faces.
For two years, our playgroups were offered in partnership with Joint Initiatives for Youth & Families through a Colorado Health Foundation grant. The goal was to strengthen early language and literacy and to reduce the isolation many caregivers felt in the years following COVID, especially Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers: the grandparents, relatives, neighbors, and nannies who care for so many of our community's youngest children.
Here are a few highlights of what we discovered, and what you can experience by joining us at the next playgroup:
- Caregivers found community. Many caregivers told us they had felt isolated and unsure how to connect with others. Playgroups became a welcoming place to make new friends, share stories, and feel part of something bigger. Many keep coming back, with more than half returning for multiple sessions.
- The learning went home. Caregivers carried our songs, stories, and routines into their daily lives. One shared that she now uses them every day, even creating her own songs for transitions and behavior.
- Homes became places to learn. Every participating caregiver received a set of early literacy books to read together at home. One grandmother transformed a small basement space into a reading nook filled with books, alphabet cards, and dress-up play.
- Quiet voices found their song. We watched a once-quiet four-year-old begin speaking and singing with confidence.
- Children explored a bigger world. Visits from more than 15 community partners brought live animals from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, professional opera singers, outdoor learning, and hands-on healthy snacks and active games.
- Caregivers built confidence. Many caregivers grew more confident in supporting early learning, and two were inspired to become licensed child care providers themselves.
- Families found support. For some families, playgroups were their very first connection to the wider early childhood community, opening doors to library programs, health and developmental resources, and other support close to home.
So consider this your invitation. Bring your little one, your grandchild, a child you care for, or just your own curious heart, and come to our next playgroup. Come sing, move, read, and play with us! Watch a baby discover the sound of a piano for the first time. See a shy child step into the circle. Feel the room fill with laughter when a song lands just right. You don't need to know the words or the moves, and there's no cost to join. We invite you to come and 'witness'. the joy, the fun, the learning, the friends. Rest assured you will leave knowing you have witnessed something extraordinary – and we all play a part in that experience! I'll save you a spot near the piano.
Find our next Pop-Up Playgroup at https://simplegiftschoolhouse.com/events/
