Lincoln's first and only...Developmental Play Group!

Lincoln has a secret that needs to be told. For the past two years the Ager Play Center on 1300 S. 27^th Street has been hosting something that has yet to be done anywhere else.

 The Ager Play Center has been housing the Developmental Play Group designed for children with special needs between the ages of six months and five years.  This year there are five nine-week sessions being held, where children and their families can come to a safe environment once a week and play. Play is the purpose of the group. Just as important, though, is that it’s a place that fosters relationships between parents of children with special needs and relationships between the children themselves. The play group also provides networking and offers professional presentations where parents can talk to a variety of specialists, doctors, therapists, and case workers.

The play group sessions encourage family play, and there is staff there to assist. Each week there are structured, hands-on activities for parents to do with their children. Purposeful play is the goal. The goal is also to facilitate all forms of development by improving social, speech, and physical development. During the sessions, there are adaptive toys for young children at all developmental levels. These toys include push toys with harnesses for children with less core strength; balls with different textures and sizes; books with tactile elements to encourage interaction with books; switch-adapted toys; cause and effect toys; soft toys; toys that light up and vibrate for children with visual impairments, and auditory-stimulated toys as well as other types of toys. There is something for every child. 

In addition to the play, each nine-week session offers two nights for parents to listen to a professional presentation. These presentations are optional, but have proven very popular for the parents. So far the play group has had at least 15 presentations by a variety of specialists and therapists. Some of the past presentation topics have included the Benefits of music therapy; Adaptive horseback riding; Encouraging physical movement through play; Respite care services; and Information needed to encourage parents to be advocates for their child as he or she goes through the educational process. The presentations happen during the two-hour session, and staff is on hand to watch the children while the parents attend.

Since its inception, the sessions have averaged 18-22 families. After each session, parents are asked to take a survey. This past summer of 2009, some of the parents left the following comments: "We enjoyed all of the opportunities to take our children to Developmental Play. We feel our kids are safe and can have fun and be themselves"; "My child learned new play skills and had opportunities to socialize"; and "[Our children] have met friends and also found babysitters that can watch our kids".

It all started in 2007 by a parent who saw that there were no play groups for young children with impairments. The parent then went to Lincoln Parks and Recreation, thus beginning six months of planning and grant writing. Through the one parent’s inspiration, a safe, supportive, and adaptive play group was created.  The play group has many partners in Lincoln now, in addition to being grant-funded. Among participating partners are the Autism Family Network, Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership, Lincoln Public Schools Early Childhood Intervention Services, and Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department.

The next session begins November 24 and the cost is $60.00 per session. Scholarships are available and everyone is accepted. There is no cut-off date for registration. The Developmental Play Coordinator is Sara Masten, who has been with the group over two years. She can be contacted, or an application can be requested at 402-441-8666 or 402-416-7607, or email at smasten@lincoln.ne.gov. In addition to Sara, the play group is staffed by a high energy staff of volunteers who are college-aged students in the special education, pre-med, pre-therapy or related fields.

The Developmental Play Group continues to look for families looking for a family friendly environment with structured activities and opportunities to interact with other parents—and most important, a time to play!