Laughter, movement, and learning have returned in the new year for the children who participate in The Arc of Essex County’s Communi-Play communication parties.

Starting on January 6, the bi-monthly sessions were back on the calendar for the new year, with a new addition: after the January 20 class, families were welcomed to stick around at Studio Arc for a fun art class for children. For the first class, the group made puppets together, a craft that helped reinforce some of the language lessons that had been part of the Communi-Play class.

These Saturday morning sessions are held at no cost to families thanks to a generous grant from the Partnership for Children of Essex. They are led by Jaquetta Perry-Boyd, “Mrs. J,” a specialist with more than 20 years of speech-language experience. In these highly engaging and interactive events, children ages 2.5 to 5 and their parents practiced communication and conversation skills such as listening, eye contact, body language, and gestures.

Upcoming dates for the classes include February 10 and 24, March 9 and 23, April 13 and 27, May 4 and 18, and June 8 and 22; all start at 10:30 a.m. Art classes will follow some of the Communi-Play sessions. Visit https://bit.ly/communi-play to sign up (registration is required to ensure enough supplies for all participants). Contact Director of Creative Programming Angela LoSapio with any questions at 973-535-1181 ext. 1231 or alosapio@arcessex.org.