We currently have one group running in Pleasant Ridge on Friday mornings 9:30-10:30 am. You can join us in the backyard of Community Happens Here (6238 Montgomery Rd). Park on the street or at the Walgreens nearby.

Starting May 30, 2024, we will also host a group in Oakley on Thursday mornings 9:30-10:30 am. You can join us in the backyard of Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship (CMF) 4229 Brownway Ave.

Just show up! We are there every week and you’re welcome to come once and never come again, or hopefully, build it into your weekly routine to be with us. There’s no pressure or expectation and it’s always free.

You can also check our calendar page for extra details on what we'll do each week. We only take off 6 weeks of the year. (The dates closest to President's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas)

There’s no cost to participate in playgroups.

If you join us regularly and want to contribute toward sustaining the group, you can bring snacks to share, donate something from our Amazon Wishlist or offer us some gently used items. Or you can support us with a monthly or annual donation. Learn more here.

You do not need to be religious to participate. We receive funding from progressive denominations of Christian churches (Episcopal and Mennonite) but it is with no expectation or strings attached. This group is for the “spiritual, but not religious” crowd as we believe a spiritual connection is vital for your mental health. Our intent is to help you and your kiddo connect with a sense of wonder and awe as you build relationships with nature, your community and your own deepest self. If a sense of “God, the Divine, something bigger than yourself” fits in that for you, it is welcome, but we also welcome atheist perspectives and more.

We focus our playgroup content on parents of 0-5 year olds. Families expecting their first baby are also welcome! In the summer and on school holidays, we welcome older siblings to join us as well. Kids who are 9 years and older can volunteer to help care for younger kids. We offer volunteer hour credits to junior and senior high school students. We would also welcome college students who could gain credit by working with us.

We offer additional programming that better fits families with kids 6 and older. Check out our calendar to learn more.

Read our blog post on "Our Approach" and "Why We Celebrate" and other posts to learn about the things we do together. We love to follow familiar rhythms, but adapt for the seasons and weather. Every group offers something for kids and adults.

No, we develop our daily plans based on the context of the place where we gather and the people who join us. In Oakley, every week we’ll “walk the garden” and observe the cycle of nature. In Pleasant Ridge, every week we’ll feed the birds at the end of our time together. We have different daily and monthly routines for each weekday group. You can join us for both days in any given week and find similar and different things to rely on. You can learn more about how we approach things here.

No need to bring anything special, but dress for the weather! We go outside as often as possible and Cincinnati tends to change by the minute. Our general rule is that if the temperature is below 40 we will be inside, but there are some days when we just need a chill morning inside. We are happy to adapt for the group’s needs.

We have multiple families with special needs who join us every week. They appreciate the space to help their kids work on new skills in a welcoming environment that has reliable routines and gentle opportunities for sensory play. It’s also an opportunity to meet other families who “get it.” Many of the adults who join us have personal and/or professional experience with kids and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities or behavioral or social challenges. We also have kids with egg, peanut and dairy allergies so our snacks are always allergy aware.

We are ALWAYS happy to adapt for the kids who show up. If you’d like to share what your child might need in order to thrive with us, please email Jen (jen@imaginecincinnati.org) and we’ll be happy to learn how we can support you.