[New Playgroup!] Meet This Is How We Play, a Come-As-You-Are Hour for Every Kind of Kid

A weekly playgroup for families navigating neurodivergence & disability, every Tuesday from 9 to 10am at Little Village Play Cafe in Wauwatosa. Free for members, all ages, no diagnosis needed. Here's what it is, how our very first group went & every resource our families shared.

Meet This Is How We Play

There's a new playgroup at Little Village, & we've been so excited to share it with you. This Is How We Play is a come-as-you-are hour where kids play their way & grown-ups get to swap ideas, ask questions & meet other local families who get it.

Every child plays differently. Some kids want to climb, some want to line up every car in the room, some need to run laps or take a break with headphones on. We wanted a place where all of that is simply how it goes. No sitting still, no sharing on cue & no explaining your family's needs to anyone.

Headphones, laps around the room, a break in the quiet corner: every play style is welcome here.

What is This Is How We Play at Little Village?

This Is How We Play is a weekly playgroup for families navigating neurodivergence & disability in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It meets every Tuesday from 9 to 10am, year-round, at The Little Village Play Cafe, 6505 W. North Ave. It's free for Little Village members & the regular open play price for non-members. All ages & siblings are welcome, & no diagnosis is needed. The group is co-led by a disability mom & a pediatric mental health therapist, who offers gentle support from the sidelines.

If you've been looking for a sensory-friendly playgroup in Wauwatosa, or a relaxed way to meet other autism, ADHD or special needs families near Milwaukee, this is it.

How the hour goes

There's a gentle shape to the morning, but nobody's required to do any of it. Wander in, wander out, do what works for your kid.

• Open play, your way. Our Montessori-inspired play space, with quiet corners for low-stimulus breaks anytime.
• Story time. Books on feelings, friendship & play. Listen from the rug, from a lap, or from across the room.
• Sideline support. A pediatric mental health therapist in the room: a strategy if you want one, an ear if you don't.
• Grown-up connection. Trade what's working, ask questions & meet families who get it while the kids play.
• Take-home resources. Books, podcasts & guides to keep the conversation going at home.

Arrive late, leave early, step out for a break. It's all fine here. See the full rundown on our This Is How We Play page.

Who it's for

Families navigating any disability or neurodivergence, visible or invisible, diagnosed or not. That includes (but is never limited to):

• Kids on the autism spectrum or with ADHD who play best on their own terms
• Kids with sensory processing differences who need room to move or a quiet corner
• Kids with speech, language or developmental delays
• Kids with physical disabilities, mobility differences or medical complexity
• Families in the middle of an evaluation, or wondering if they should start one
• Siblings, grandparents & anyone who loves a kid in this community

Who leads it

Miss Jenni (Jenni Shine, our Director of Programming) is a disability mom herself. She started this group to build the kind of community she wanted to be part of: no judgment, no explaining, just people who get it. She also designs our Story Sprouts curriculum.

Miss Caroline (Caroline Burnett, Marriage & Family Therapist with Tosa Pediatrics Therapies) is a pediatric mental health therapist with 20 years of experience supporting kids with disabilities, with a focus on autism, ADHD & infant mental health. At group, she offers gentle, in-the-moment support from the sidelines.

A peek at our very first group

Our first This Is How We Play was Tuesday, September 29, 2026, & it was such a good start. The kids played, explored & took breaks on their own terms, while the grown-ups talked through navigating diagnosis, the day-to-day of raising kids with complex needs & finding neuro-affirming support.

Families traded their favorite podcasts, books & guides, so we rounded them all up below. Thank you to everyone who came & shared! If you missed it, you can find everything you need to join us on the This Is How We Play page.

Resources our families shared

Podcasts

• Celebrate Calm. Practical, encouraging parenting tools for kids who feel the world a little bigger.
• At Peace Parents. A helpful listen for parents of kids with PDA & other neurodivergent profiles.

Understanding PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance)

If you recognize PDA traits in your child, PDA Explained: A Guide for Parents & Caregivers from Neurodivergent Insights is a really helpful place to start. It walks through the nervous-system response behind demand avoidance in a way that just clicks.

It's also a great one to share with grandparents, teachers, childcare providers, therapists & anyone else in your kid's corner. The more people who understand, the more consistent your child's support system becomes.

Picture books to read together

• This Is How We Play. The book that named our group. There's no one "right" way to play, & every kid deserves the freedom to explore & connect in the way that feels good to them.
• Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival. A gentle story about a child who finds making friends tricky. A great conversation starter about friendship, patience & the many ways kids connect.
• Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor. A joyful look at kids with all kinds of abilities, & a reminder that asking questions about differences is a good thing.

These are easy ways to keep the conversation going at home, helping kids see themselves in stories while building empathy for others too.

This Is How We Play: the details

When	Every Tuesday, 9-10am, year-round
Who	Families navigating neurodivergence & disability. All ages, siblings welcome, no diagnosis needed
Cost	Free for Little Village members, open play price for non-members
Sign-up	Drop-ins welcome, or save your spot on Sawyer
Led by	Miss Jenni & Miss Caroline (Tosa Pediatrics Therapies)
Where	The Little Village Play Cafe, 6505 W. North Ave, Wauwatosa, WI 53213
Parking	Free street parking on North Ave & nearby side streets

Save your spot for Tuesday · Add Tuesdays to your calendar · More about This Is How We Play

We're 10 minutes from downtown Milwaukee, 5 minutes from Tosa Village & Mayfair, and a quick drive from Brookfield, Elm Grove, Menomonee Falls, Shorewood & Whitefish Bay. The play space is shoes-off, so socks for everyone.

Questions families ask us

Is This Is How We Play free?

It's free for Little Village members. Non-members pay the regular open play price, which covers the whole hour. If you plan to come often, a membership is usually the better deal.

Does my child need a diagnosis to come?

No. If you're navigating neurodivergence or disability in any form, visible or invisible, diagnosed or still figuring it out, you're welcome here. Nobody will ask you to explain.

Do I need to sign up?

Drop-ins are always welcome. Saving your spot on Sawyer just helps us plan for the right number of families.

What ages is it for?

All ages. Siblings are welcome too & play right alongside.

Will it be busy or loud?

Tuesday mornings are members-only at Little Village, so the space is noticeably calmer than our regular open play hours. Quiet corners are always there if your kid needs a break.

Is this therapy?

No. This Is How We Play is a playgroup, not a clinical service. Caroline offers in-the-moment strategies if you want them & is happy to point you toward ongoing support.

What should we bring?

Socks for everyone (the play space is shoes-off) & anything that helps your kid feel comfy, like headphones, a favorite fidget or a snack.

Know a family who'd love this?

The friend from your kid's therapy waiting room. The neighbor whose little one just started an evaluation. The grandparent who wants to understand. Send them this post or our This Is How We Play page. Every family deserves a place to play their way.

Questions? We're always at learn@thelittlevillageplaycafe.com.

Come as you are. See you Tuesday!

jenni, caroline + the little village team
The Little Village Play Cafe, Wauwatosa