A playgroup at Play ADK Clubhouse. (Photo provided)

To the editor:

Physical activity and socialization are two of the most important aspects of early childhood development. Fortunately for families in Franklin County, several community organizations now offer free infant and toddler playgroups for children ages 0-3 and their caregivers.

The Heart Network’s Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) program works with schools, communities and work sites throughout Franklin County to increase access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity. Part of this work includes an early childhood component through our partnership with the Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country (CCCCNC).

Play-based learning and exploration are critical to the physical and emotional development of young children. When this is done in group settings with other children of the same age, it also supports socialization skills and builds confidence — that’s why programs like infant and toddler playgroups are so important.

Communities in Franklin County have seen an increase in infant and toddler playgroups in recent years. CCCCNC has long offered such programming and currently hosts playgroups Monday-Wednesday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at its Families R Us location in Malone — these sessions are for all ages but especially for children ages 0-5. CCCCNC also offers a playgroup at the Saranac Lake Baptist Church every Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to noon, an outpost for the Tupper Lake Family Matters Resource Center.

In downtown Saranac Lake, Play ADK offers infant and toddler playgroups at its Clubhouse. Both organizations employ experienced coordinators to help facilitate activities. To learn more, visit ccccnc.org/families-r-us-malone and playadk.org/clubhouse.

Elsewhere in Franklin County, organizations and businesses including North Country Community College, Saranac Lake Free Library, Dance Sanctuary and Saranac Lake Youth Soccer Association provide programs that encourage physical activity and social interaction for kids up to age 5.

To learn more about resources for families with young children in northern New York, check out the Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance: contact Kate Ryan at kate.ryan@adkfoundation.org or visit adirondackbt3.org. To learn more about CHSC’s early childhood programming, get in touch anytime: apatraw@heartnetwork.org.

Arriana Patraw

Project coordinator, The Heart Network

Saranac Lake