Youngsters, parents find fun at play group

Camryn Smith prepares to send a stuffed animal down the slide. Christopher Chinkel is happy to spend his morning at play. Cheyenne Thompson finds an imaginative new garage for toy car.(Photo illustration/Bennett Rock and Michael Paul)

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Youngsters, parents find fun at play group

Published March 4, 2010
By Kimberly L. Wright
Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- "Look at you, gold-medal winner on top of the podium!" one proud parent exclaimed as one of her infant's new little friends climbed to the top of a foam obstacle. An assortment of colorful toys assembled on a safety mat provided a variety of entertainment possibilities for little ones in diverse of developmental stages, from the tiniest babies just learning to hold up their heads, to toddlers building social skills.

Squeals of delighted toddlers and infants, shouts of praise and murmurs of conservation filled the air as about 20 parents and preschool children shared time with their peers as part of Maxwell's play group. In addition to the activity outlet for energetic youngsters, the common play area provides military parents with a chance to bond with others who raise young children.

Maxwell's play group meets every Wednesday, 9:30 to 11 a.m., at the Maxwell Event Center, and Gunter's play group meets every Tuesday, 9:30 to 11 a.m., at the Gunter Community Center.

Paulette Hall has brought her 16-month-old son, Connor, out to play at the MEC for four months, ever since her family moved from Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., in October. "I enjoy getting my son socialized with the other kids and great moms," she said. Though she enjoyed being able to get advice from fellow parents, she considered the play group as most beneficial for her son. "For me, the most important thing is getting him socialized with kids his age," he said.

Anne Marie Fuller, who has been in the area since June, has attended the play group for about a month with her 10-month-old daughter, McKinley. She said that the best thing about the play group is that it provides her active, crawling youngster an opportunity "to interact with other kids her age and older." She noted, "I stay at home. It's great to get out of the house. But it's great to watch her play with other kids." Ms. Fuller noted that the play group is also a great way to meet other parents "especially not knowing anybody in this area," she said.

Amy Zimmer and Florence, her 6-month-old daughter, are relative newcomers to the play group, but she's really enjoyed the two times she's attended. Like Ms. Fuller, Ms. Zimmer enjoys seeing her child play alongside others. "[Florence] hasn't gotten a lot of opportunities to interact with other kids," she said. "She likes it a lot. I also like getting to know the other parents." Her husband is a reservist in the 908th Airlift Wing, and they have spent four years at Maxwell. "They deploy a lot, so it's nice to know there's a support network here," she said.

The play group has long been a Maxwell-Gunter institution, providing youngsters and their parents an outlet for fun since 1997, according to Derrick Sanders, family support branch chief at the Airman and Family Readiness Center. Shannon Bupp, information and referral consultant at the A&FRC, explained that fun family activities like the play group supports the overall concept of the Year of the Air Force Family, currently being observed Air Force-wide through July. "The play group is really for the moms and kids to interact," she said. "That helps keep the family healthy."

The play group also serves as an outreach vehicle for those seeking to help military families. "The play group is an Airman and Family Readiness activity that Educational Developmental Intervention Services sponsors and uses as outreach," said Nerissa Patrice Keeler, EDIS program manager and special educator. EDIS serves children from birth to 36 months of age with special needs, providing free therapy services for children who qualify, said Mindy Nelson, a speech therapist with EDIS. EDIS staffers, which include an occupational therapist, a physical therapist and speech therapist, conduct free developmental screening for children of military families who live on- and off-base to allay parental concerns about their children's development, said Ms. Nelson. No doctor's referral is needed.

For more information on EDIS services, contact the office at 953-4415 or 953-4953, or visit the office, located in the Mental Health office at the base medical clinic.