Annual Free Events

In 2023 we planned our NEXT Portrait of Me; Painting and Play, a free event brought to our community by THE PLAYGROUNDgr, and our featured event sponsor, Lake Michigan Credit Union. This free event is being hosted by Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) on January 4, 2024 at 3:30pm. We are grateful to Cakabakery, for hosting our cookie bar. We are also grateful to artist Edwin Anderson, who will be leading us in creating a caricature of ourselves featured as a super hero.

THE PLAYGROUNDgr brings play experts to GRAND RAPIDS PLAYS, inviting our community to participate in: drum circles, mindfulness, yoga, nature play, art and other play led activities that may not be accessible in other scenarios. Due to barriers related to insurance, out of pocket costs and access to transportation, THE PLAYGROUNDgr is committed to bringing play experts, tools and strategies to our whole community.  Last years partners included: Grand Rapids Public Library, Early On Learning Collaborative, Congress Elementary, Full Bloom Children’s Yoga and Mindfulness, Nature Crate and Josh Dunigan drums. Attendees received new books, play tools and  drum, in support of continuing play at home. In 2023 THE PLAYGROUNDgr expanded our midbrain and expert play opportunities, inviting Great Lakes Circus Center to bring circus arts, as well as Tekqnique Academy to bring break dancing. We continued to showcase over 10 hands on play experts and brainstem, midbrain, limbic and cortical cortex play, with partners that included: Full Bloom Yoga and Mindfulness, Tree School, The Grand Rapids Public Library, THE PLAYGROUNDgr, The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, DJ Collin Chaos, Bounce house from Grand Rapids Bounce House, drum circles and giveaways led by Josh Dunigan and Congress Elementary. We welcomed over 300 neighbors to join us for an afternoon of intentional play.