San Antonio Charter Moms invites families to have some fun in the sun, while learning a thing or two, during the new Summer of Play event series. The family-friendly meetups are designed to help children shed bad habits brought on by the pandemic while having fun along the way. From increasing finger strength and dexterity to balancing screen time and sharpening social skills – each event offers valuable educational tips from local experts mixed with creative, hands-on activities to keep kids entertained. (San Antonio Charter Moms, 2022)

Summer of Play brings San Antonio Charter Moms’ thriving online community to life through in-person playdates with an informative twist. The casual come-and-go events are free and open to the public at area splash pads around the city. San Antonio Charter Moms Founder and Executive Director, Inga Cotton and team will be on-site to answer education-related questions offering families an ideal opportunity to go straight to the source for expert advice. From discussing local school options to summer camps, enrichment activities around town, learning loss solutions, and more.

“Summer presents an ideal time for us all to regroup and get kids back on track by introducing and enforcing good habits and saying goodbye to the bad. After speaking with hundreds of parents, students and educators alike, there is no doubt the pandemic took its toll academically and socially. With all that has happened over the last few years; we can’t wait to come together to discuss post-pandemic challenges and solutions. But mostly, we look forward to having some fun as we laugh, learn and share.” – Inga Cotton, Founder and Executive Director of San Antonio Charter Moms.

Summer of Play is designed as a celebratory next chapter to the nonprofit’s award-winning Charter a Voyage of Learning campaign launched at the start of the pandemic to help parents navigate distance learning and parenting challenges while social distancing. Due to its success, the campaign continues to grow and evolve, offering activities and online support to keep children active, learning, and having fun through the summer and beyond. Summer of Play events are free and open to the public. Families are encouraged to bring a sack lunch and stay awhile.

STEMulate Curiosity: A Playdate with BASIS San Antonio – Build your child’s math and science skills through fun, hands-on activities with educators from BASIS San Antonio.

SPLASH PAD Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair
434 S Alamo St.
San Antonio, TX 78205

Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 10a.m. – 12p.m.

Conversations to Connect: A Playdate with nextTalk – Kim Elerick, co-host of the nextTalk podcast on cyber parenting, offers advice for building good habits, balancing screen time, and keeping kids safe online.

SPLASH PAD at Voigt Park
700 El Portal
Hollywood Park, TX 78232

Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at 10a.m. – 12p.m.

Strong Hands Strong Writers: A Playdate with TamboRhythms – Occupational therapist Jorge Ochoa explores fun ways to help kids use their fingers and build prewriting skills.

SPLASH PAD at Pearsall Park
4838 Old Pearsall Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78242

Thursday, July 14, 2022, at 10a.m. – 12p.m.

San Antonio Charter Moms (SACM) began as a blog in 2012 when Founder Inga Cotton was inspired to help San Antonio families more easily find good information about high-quality school options. Starting with a focus on the growing local charter school offerings, the blog has evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that shares fair information about all types of schools. Established in 2018 as a nonprofit, SACM can accept funding that enables it to grow in ways that support accomplishing its mission of being the most trusted information source on education in the region. This growth includes Spanish-language blog post translations, surveying target publics, holding meetings with decisionmakers, supporting public speaking, community outreach and enhancing mobile technology.