Local Area Play Groups

Groups are listed with permission of their owner or organizer and bear no direct affiliation with PG Parents.

Monday: North College Park In the Spring, a new playgroup will be held from 10:AM to noon at the playground at Duval Field, near the intersection of Greenbelt Rd (Route 193) and Rhode Island Ave. Bowie: DC Metro Dads, Bowie Chapter, meets occasionally at Allen Pond Park from 10:AM to noon, although more often you can catch them at the indoor playground and/or the big circle at Annapolis Mall. Check DC Metro Dads for details. Hyattsville: Prince George's Plaza Ctr, 301-864-1611, 6600 Adelphi Rd, Hyattsville,MD 20782 has an open gym for 0-5 year olds on Mondays from 10AM to noon. The adult accompanying them must have a center ID (around $50 annually). Crofton: Skate Zone has a $4 plus tax per child "Tot Rock N' Roll", fee covers skate rental and a free drink, but most kids just bring their bikes, tricycles, ride on toys, strollers, pickles on wheels and every other manner of push or ride-on toy. See SkateZone for details.

Tuesday: Cheverly: Cheverly Play Group: The Cheverly Parent Resource Center (CPRC) hosts a free play group for preschool children Tuesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. Gast Park in Cheverly (inclement weather location: Cheverly Community Center). Free (after $10 CPRC membership fee) and no reservations needed, see Cheverly Parent for details.

Wednesday: College Park: Meets at 10AM, Berwyn Neighborhood Playground on the other side of Holy Redeemer Church behind one row of houses. Continue down Berwyn, make a right on Rhode Island, left on Quebec and right on Patuxent, then the next right onto 49th and you'll see the park from there. Just park your car anywhere along the side of the road by the park. During inclement weather, meets 10am-12pm-ish at Fealy Hall, 4902 Berwyn Rd (the belltower across the street from Holy Redeemer church/school). When the group is indoors, please park in the Holy Redeemer parking lot. Greenbelt: The Greenbelt Mamas and Papas are meeting from 11AM-1PM at the playground across the street from the old Greenbelt library - look for a path through the trees. During inclement weather - but not in the summer - they meet at the Greenbelt Youth Center, a red brick building accessible from the road behind the library parking lot. Bringing a snack/lunch is suggested but not required (sharing is not necessary but also not discouraged). Bowie: DC Metro Dads, Bowie Chapter, meets at the indoor playground and/or the big circle at Annapolis Mall. In good weather, they meet at Allen Pond Park near Bowie Town Center, for details, check out DC Metro Dads. Andrews Air Force Base: For military families, all branches, active and reserve, AAFB Youth Center hosts weekly playgroups for infants and toddlers. see Andrews et al for center info, program sometimes called "Infant and Toddler University".

Thursday: College Park: Through the summer months, the College Park Playgroup will be gathering at Calvert Park, 10:30am-12pm, weather permitting. The park is located at the end of Drexel Road: From Route One south turn left onto Guilford Road, right on Wake Forest, left onto Drexel and follow to end. During inclement weather, meets at 10:30 AM in the Old Parish House at 4711 Knox Rd, College Park. The OPH is at the corner of Knox and Dartmouth. Note that they also have a once a month "Arts Drop-In" program for kids ages 3-12 from 2-4:00 PM on Sundays, call 301-927-3013 for details.

Friday: Berwyn Heights: Playgroup at Pop's Park at the intersection of 60th Ave and Quebec St or, during cold or inclement weather, the Upper Level of the Town Center at the corner of Berwyn Rd and 57th Ave, every Friday from 10:00AM until noon. Bowie: Mom's group meets at the Upper Marlboro Community Center on Fridays, small fee to attend. Cheverly: Cheverly Play Group: The Cheverly Parent Resource Center (CPRC) hosts a free play group for preschool children Mondays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. Gast Park in Cheverly (inclement weather location: Cheverly Community Center). Free (after $10 CPRC membership fee) and no reservations needed, see Cheverly Parent for details.

Saturday: Laurel: The Play Shack has several play sessions available by subscription, and a trial class is just $5, see Venus Theatre/Play Shack for details.

Can't find a playgroup in your area? Online Playgroup is an Internet resource for finding, starting and managing a playgroup or parents group. It features an extensive worldwide directory of playgroups, parents groups and babysitting co-ops, plus free online tools for playgroups. Find a playgroup or start your own!

Other online playgroup sites to check out are The Tot Lot and Our Kids , see both "Play Groups" and "Parent Groups", Matching Moms, and Child Avenue.

Another great way to meet parents and kids in your area is Story Time at the Local Library .

The Wayne K. Curry Sports & Learning Complex has open gym time for tots on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Thursdays from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m., Fridays 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. $5 per child, maximum three children per adult. Free workshop on Saturday, April 21st. Note that these days and times are subject to change without notice and often the Sports Complex web site will not be updated to reflect the change, so call ahead. Workshops will not be held on Feb 24-28; Mar 1-3, 10, 23 and 24; Apr 5-7, 21, 27 and 28. Registration starts 1/2 hour before the session and is first-come first-served with a finite number of slots so arriving early is recommended. This is for children ages 18 months - 14 years. Note that the later time on Fridays generally involves older children. No sessions after June 2nd. For details, see PG Sports and Learning under "Gymnastics Workshop".

Fairland Sports and Aquatics' open gymnastics (similar to the big one at PG Sports) is held on Mon. and Wed. from 10:30-11:30 and on Tues. from Noon-1:00 (Sept through May). Sundays 2-3:00 and 3-4:00 (Sept through April). Cost is $5 per child. Contact info for questions: Fairland Sports and Aquatics Complex 13820 and 13950 Old Gunpowder Road Laurel, MD 20707 Athletic Complex - 301-953-0030 ---- The (similarly named but differently located) Fairland Community Center is on Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville, and during the school year has a free "tiny tots" open gym program ages 4 and under on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 till 11:30. No gym during the summer months. Phone 240-777-4970.

This is a not-quite-fall-yet list which is usually in need of updates, additions, more specific addresses, times and so forth. Comments, corrections, and new play groups in or near PG County should be directed to Ann Sterling.

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