Social Skills: Getting out and about

We've been focusing on social skills the past two weeks. Most young children get their best practice at home with friends and playgroups and at school. But it's also great to get out and about to mix and mingle with other children. Here are the hot spots in our area:

Parks! Dragon Park in Nashville and Crockett Park in Brentwood have awesome play structures and are usually teeming with youngsters. Want to really promote interaction? Take a ball. Inevitably it will roll away and some other kid will go after it.

Play gyms! Several have popped up around town, but one of the favorites is www.monkeyjoes.com in Cool Springs. Let the kids roam while you sit back and relax.

Your gym! One of our personal favorites for is the YMCA. Members have access to age-appropriate childcare rooms while they are in the building. 

Parent's Night Out! Childcare can be a fun way for kids to socialize while you grab groceries, have lunch with friends, or slip out for a date-night dinner. Two excellent drop-in spots are www.thechildrensplayroom.com with locations in Belle Meade and Brentwood and www.smartsprouts.com in Green Hills. In addition to these drop-ins, area churches and gyms, such as Let it Shine gymnastics in Franklin, have regularly-scheduled parent night out programs. These typically require advance reservations.

Have other places you like? Please share!