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PlayWorks Therapy, Inc. is a pediatric therapy clinic providing a variety of clinical therapies to children ages 0-12. PlayWorks Therapy, Inc. enriches children’s lives through developmental therapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work/counseling services, therapeutic social groups, and our therapeutic preschool program. We value family engagement, creativity, and high-quality individualized therapy services. With a family-centered focus, we strive to help children achieve their fullest potential! Each therapy session is developed around the child’s unique needs and needs of the family in the reassuring atmosphere of their home, school, daycare center, or at our clinic, located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood. NPN members get free developmental screening at PlayWorks Therapy, Inc. A $75 value! Go here for details.

Free CPR training session by Chicago Red Cross. Parents will receive certificates. Members only

Join us at Lil' Kickers (2640 W. Bradley Place) for the ultimate family-friendly bash, which includes: Soccer classes, games & inflatables with Lil’ Kickers Face painting Baby zone with Kids' Work Chicago Arts & crafts with Language Stars Party hat creations from Building Blocks Toy Store Prizes from Little Beans Cafe Delicious pizza & salads catered by Armand's Pizzeria Kiddie countdowns, hourly balloon drops & dancing with The Mix Road Crew from 101.9 FM Snacks and sweet treats from Uncle Sammy's, Lifeway Kefir, GoGo squeeZ & more! Event photography by Beata Dunn Photography Hurry! This event sells out every year! Grab some friends and get your tickets today!

Join NPN for a Sunday Playdate at GEMS World Academy Chicago in Lakeshore East. Parents, grab a cup of coffee, relax and enjoy as your kids experience some fun activities and get to know this international school tucked away next to a beautiful park, adjacent to Maggie Daley Park. This event is best for kids aged 2 - 5 years old. Siblings are always welcome. Bring the whole family and make a day of it in downtown Chicago! GEMS World Academy Chicago is located at 350 East South Water Street, Chicago, IL 60601. Please read the driving/parking instructions carefully, as GPS technologies sometimes have a difficult time finding the GEMS campus NPN Playdates are free for NPN members. We ask non-members to contribute $10/adult, which comes with a one-year NPN membership, giving you free access to every playdate! If you are experiencing financial hardship, please feel free to contact us at director@npnparents.org to ask about our fee-waived memberships.

Choosing the right Kindergarten for your child can be daunting, especially in Chicago, where there are so many options. Then once you are secure with your school choice, the next step is preparing a smooth transition for your child and your family. Learn how these schools support students and families through this process, and what you can do at home to get the school year started on the right foot. This session includes panelists with expertise in neurodiversity and challenging behaviors. Featuring: Bennett Day School Bubbles Academy City Elementary St. Josaphat School Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi Tuesday's Child This discussion will occur live over Zoom. Please register on this page to receive the Zoom link. This discussion is open to everyone. Help us keep these discussions free for families across the city by supporting NPN. Become a member today. Questions? Contact Amy at amy@npnparents.org Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Bennett Day School. School representatives and education experts: Would you like to speak on a panel like this? Email Amy at amy@npnparents.org to inquire.

Join us for Sunday play at City Garden Waldorf School! Play and mingle with other NPN families in this beautiful space! Families will enjoy bread-making, puppet play, and open play. Plus you can talk with City Garden teachers about their program and Waldorf early childhood education. This playdate is designed especially for children who are two through five years old and their parents, but children of all ages and expecting parents are welcome. Learn more about City Garden Waldorf School and their parent-child classes that start Saturday, January 20th here. Read more about City Garden Waldorf School in this article in Block Club Chicago and this feature on WGN. City Garden Waldorf School is located at 920 W 19th St, Chicago, IL 60608. There is ample street parking on 19th Street. Enter the school through the garden located between 920 and 912 W. 19th Street.

This NPN Live at Lunch panel series is a 30 minute preschool panel discussion followed by a 15 minute Q&A about what to look for in a preschool. We hope that you will walk away from this discussion with three things: *The signs of an organized, safe, happy, and enriching preschool program * A better idea of what is most important to you when it comes to preschool * How to ask questions that will help you determine if a program is a good fit for your family

Our summer camp program is an extension of our top-rated and exceptionally reliable Kids’ Work Chicago children’s learning center. Located in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood, our program is available for your convenience all summer without interruption! For families that need a full day of care, we also offer high-quality full-day options. Offering two three-week sessions, our program is the complete camp experience your family is looking for! Session one: July 12–31 Session two: August 2–20 Full day: 8am–4:30pm / after care 4:30–6:30pm Summer learning can be fun and engaging when coordinated by high-quality camp staff. During their time here at Kids’ Work, your camper will be surrounded by a consistent group of creative, energetic, and loving educators! Our smaller than typical group sizes provide your camper with plenty of individualized attention, support, and interaction! Our program values each camper as an individual by celebrating all the interesting traits that make them unique. In our program, your camper will feel free to express themselves creatively through our many open-ended art and music activities. Camp at Kids’ Work offers weekly music with Ms. Elisa of Wee Groove, yoga sessions with Ms. Cassi, and dance classes with All About Dance! In addition to these more structured learning opportunities, your camper will also enjoy fun outdoor activities including walking trips, water play, sports and free play on our onsite secure playground! Your camper will enjoy freshly prepared meals and snacks each day from our catering company, Healthy Organic Kids. Our high-quality meal plans expose campers to a variety of tastes and textures helping them to develop a lifetime of healthy eating habits! See you at CAMP! NPN members receive a 10% discount off the 1st week of each full camp session reserved. Offer expires April 23, 2021. Go here for details.

General Admission gives you access to the expo, breakout sessions with Chicago parenting experts, refreshments, photo booth and info bag. Enter the event raffle for giveaways by bringing diapers or wipes to donate to Share our Spare. $20 each. When you register for the baby shower, you permit us to share your contact information with the organizers. Do you have questions for the organizers? Let us know. Thank you to our sponsor, Bubbles Academy

Join NPN and Dr. Shelley Upton with Chicago Psychotherapy PLLC as we talk through how and when to get your child evaluated for developmental differences for those children presenting as early as preschool years through those with lower support needs who are starting to present after they have begun their education journey. Dr Upton will also speak through her experience with IEP' and how an IEP evaluation and a clinical evaluation differ and how best to utilize them to support your child's needs. This will be a Live Webinar with an opportunity to ask questions. Dr. Upton specializes in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is skilled at conducting a variety of cognitive, neuropsychological, developmental, and adaptive measures with both typically developing and neuro-diverse patients (e.g., ASD, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). Dr. Upton also has experience in the administration of various specialty evaluations such as special education eligibility evaluations and evaluations for the purposes of procuring accommodations for high stakes tests (e.g., the ACT and SAT). She has an extensive background in working with neurodiverse clients across the lifespan and their families. NPN MEMBERS ONLY EVENT - JOIN TODAY Test link color for parent membership page