Services – Play Groups

Play Groups

Currently, we are offering Monday play groups at our Gates Location (click here to get directions).   These groups are staffed by a Special Education Teacher, Rita Myers, M. Ed., and an Occupational Therapist, Felicia Thierer, OTR/L.  Both groups meet at our Gates Location for one hour per week on Mondays for 6 weeks.  The total price for a 6 week session is $50.00 and there are three available sessions to choose from:

Session 1: Jan 4th-Feb 8th

Session 2: Feb 22nd-March 29th

Sessions 3: April 5th-May 17th   (no group on 4/19) 

To learn more or register for either of these play groups please call 585-223-5090.

 

 

Exploring Through Play  (Parent/Caregiver and Child Group)

Ages: 18 months – 3 years old

Mondays for six weeks, 11:30am-12:30pm

Parent/Caregiver Attendance Required.

Purpose:

To provide children 18 months to 3 years old and their parents/caregiver an opportunity to explore the environment around them through a variety of sensory experiences.  This allows youngsters to develop the necessary developmental skills to enable them to perform to their optimal level of function.

Activities:

Week 1: Exploration through Food

  • Playing with different consistencies while promoting development of upper body strength, visual perception, fine motor, trunk control, and tolerance of textures.   

Week 2: Large Movement

  • Moving and strengthening our bodies to allow for awareness of where each body part starts and ends.  Working on coordination, visual perception, tactile input, and balance through play.

Week 3: Move and Groove

  • Moving large/small muscle groups within the constraints of music.  Working on regulation (i.e. slow/fast, stop/go), awareness of body in space, visual perception, following directions, auditory processing, while grooving to music with parent/caregiver.

Week 4: Fine Motor Movement

  • Moving small finger and hand muscles through a variety of art, craft and sensory activities to develop fine motor skills and heighten a child’s sense of touch and feel.

Week 5: Exploration of the Mouth

  • Moving small muscles within the mouth to allow for the ability to produce sounds, and awareness of how the mouth works. 

Week 6: Parent/Caregiver Choice

  • Review favorite lessons from past five weeks.

 

 

Creative Kids (Art Group)

Ages: 3-5 years old

Mondays for six weeks, 1:30pm-2:30pm

Parents Welcome

Purpose:

To provide children aged 3 to 5 years old with an opportunity to explore awareness of themselves while gaining appropriate and necessary developmental skills through a variety of sensory experiences through art activities.

Activities:

Week 1: Clay Works

Week 2: Design a Body

Week 3: Jewelry Making

Week 4: Picture Frames (various mediums)

Week 5: Masks

Week 6: Make Musical Instruments

 

 

These Groups Are Staffed By:

Rita Myers, M. Ed.

  Special Education Teacher

Rita received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy from SUNY Fredonia and went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Special Education from Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. She has 20 years experience working with young children, working as both a Music Therapist and Special Education classroom teacher. Rita enjoys music, and incorporates music activities into her classroom lessons each day. She has two children of her own, and knows how important it is to play with little ones and help foster their basic skill development to prepare them for preschool and beyond. 

 

Felicia Thierer, OTR/L

      Occupational Therapist

Felicia graduated in 1988 with a degree in Occupational Therapy. Throughout her many years of experience she has worked with both adults and children with a variety of diagnoses. Felicia is certified in Sensory Integration Training through Western Psychological Services (WPS) and has significant training in DIR.  Felicia is well known to the Rochester area for her work with children and organizations such as UNYFEAT. She frequently provides inservices to various agencies and children’s centers.