About Us…
One of my favorite quotes from Mother Theresa is "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much." I think there should be an exclamation point at the end of that one! When GiGi was born I remember being so afraid of Down syndrome. It seemed like everyone, including the medical staff, were afraid for me which scared me even more. I remember thinking how am ever I going to explain this feeling to my kids? How will I tell them that this is our new life?

When I finally went home and started living this ‘new life', I realized it wasn't much different than my old life! GiGi was more like my other kids than she was different. She needed some extra help with things but that little bit of help that we give her is nothing compared to what she gives to us everyday.

That is when I decided to open GiGi's Playhouse and show the world the tremendous potential in kids with Down syndrome. When I started the first one I never dreamed we would have five of them in 5 years! On the pages of this website you can read about the incredible ways awareness and education are being spread at each location - all over the nation!

Nancy Gianni

Playhouse Information
What started as a local Playhouse in a suburb of Chicago has turned into an international phenomenon, spreading awareness and inspiration to everyone it touches. GiGi's Playhouses are Down syndrome educational and awareness centers that provide resources, specialized teaching, and support to individuals with Down syndrome and all the people that love them!

GiGi's Playhouse centers evolved into educational centers with a focus on National awareness for Down syndrome. All of our programs are free to our families and are therapeutic in nature. Each of them are designed to work on specific skill development in several areas including speech and language, social development, and fine and gross motor skills. Our literacy program alone teaches thousands of kids with Down syndrome to read around the nation! The newest awareness project is our "i have a voice" campaign which seeks to change outdated perceptions and replace those images with beautiful, thought provoking, intelligent images.

In just 5 years, 5 Playhouses have opened! There are GiGi's Playhouses opening on the West coast, East coast and more in the Midwest! GiGi's is committed to the important mission of spreading positive and accurate information about Down syndrome through education. We know that by helping individuals with Down syndrome reach their highest potential, we can change outdated perceptions that people may have. The end result is a world that is empowered with knowledge, compassion, and inspiration - what a better place for all of us!