Summer groups at Puzzle Pieces are the perfect place to support your child’s growth this summer. Our summer social learning groups are focused on fostering peer connections, strengthening play skills, and building confidence, all while feeling like a fun, camp-like experience!
What do summer groups consist of?
At Puzzle Pieces, we offer two types of summer group sessions: week-long sessions with groups once a day for 4 days and month-long sessions with groups once a week. During each of our groups, children will follow a routine consisting of:
- Welcome check-in
- Interactive music and movement
- Collaborative sensory play
- Social snack and water break
- Gym play and/or recess games
- Goodbye circle
Our sessions include a variety of sensory projects, collaborative games, music, and movement tailored to individual needs using DIRFloortime®, creative arts therapies, sensory strategies, and visual support for a fun, meaningful, and engaging experience. Groups are facilitated by our team of neurodiversity-affirming clinicians who are able to provide the just-right support to help our children work towards their goals.
Who leads the groups?
At Puzzle Pieces, all of our groups are led by experienced mental health, speech and language, or occupational therapists who specialize in working with children. Each therapist holds a graduate degree in their field and brings expertise in child development and therapeutic support. To enhance the experience, our groups are also staffed with trained group assistants, often college or graduate students pursuing careers in therapy. This ensures every child receives thoughtful, individualized support in a nurturing and engaging environment. Here are some of our wonderful leaders this summer!
Meredith Farrell, MS, CCC-SLP – Speech Team Leader
Meredith works with children of all different ages to help increase their speech-language development and feeding skills using a child-led and play-based approach while collaborating with their families/caregivers. When she’s not working, she loves hanging out with my family, friends, and her two dogs on Cape Cod.
As a Speech Language Pathologist at Puzzle Pieces, Emmy works on language, articulation, social communication, and AAC using a child-led therapy approach. Outside of work, she likes reading a good book, going to the beach, spending time with family and friends, and traveling!
As a Speech-Language Pathologist at Puzzle Pieces, Emma works with children to treat and assess speech and language disorders and delays utilizing a child-led therapy approach. Outside of work, you can find Emma reading, going for walks, trying new restaurants, and playing her ukulele.
Emma supports children in participating fully in everyday activities like tying their shoes or brushing their teeth. She also helps them with their fine motor skills and aids them in experiencing and becoming comfortable with a variety of sensory input. In her free time, Emma reads, takes yoga classes, travels, and enjoys being outside, especially by the ocean.
As a clinician on our behavioral health team, Paige works collaboratively with kids, families, and other providers to support the development of the child’s social and emotional skills. When she’s not at work, Paige loves getting to spend time with her friends and family, baking, going to the gym, and spending time on the beach in Narragansett.
As a mental health clinician and the Group Liaison at Puzzle Pieces, Chloe provides individual support to children and their families as well as coordinates our group programming and facilitates small groups. Outside of work, Chloe loves crafting, skiing, and spending time with her family, friends, and wiener dog Margo.
What types of summer groups are there?
We offer a variety of summer groups, including:
Explorers Social Learning Groups – for children ages 3-6
Our Summer Explorers Social Learning Groups offer a fun, camp-like experience where children build confidence, strengthen communication and play skills, and foster peer connections – all while having a great time! These groups are ideal for kids who can stay engaged with adults and peers for several minutes at a time and are beginning to develop problem-solving skills in their communication.
- Week-Long Sessions:
- June 23 – 26 from 9-11 am daily
- August 25 – 28 from 9-11 am daily
- Month-Long Sessions:
- Tuesdays in July from 3-4 pm
- Tuesdays in August from 3-4 pm
Engagers Social Learning Groups – for children ages 6-9
Our Engagers Social Learning Groups provide a structured yet fun environment where kids can build confidence, improve communication, interpret social cues, manage anxiety, and deepen peer connections.
- Month-Long Sessions:
- Thursdays in July from 5-6 pm
- Thursdays in August from 5-6 pm
Girls Just Want to Have Fun – girls ages 7-10
This summer group is designed to explore and manage anxiety in a supportive and fun environment. During each group session, girls will engage in the following topics through play, conversation, and creativity: understanding anxiety and its effects, identifying personal triggers/stressors, learning relaxation techniques and mindfulness exercises, practicing positive self-talk and coping strategies, and enhancing communication skills and peer support.
- Month-Long Sessions:
- Tuesdays in July from 4-5 pm
- Tuesdays in August from 4-5 pm
Fine Motor Promoters – children entering kindergarten through 2nd grade
At Puzzle Pieces, we know that consistency is key to developing fine motor skills. Over the summer, children can lose progress made during the school year, making it harder to jump back in when school starts. This fun, engaging, play-based group helps strengthen handwriting, coordination, and dexterity through hands-on activities and expert guidance without feeling like extra schoolwork.
- Month-Long Sessions:
- Mondays in July from 4-5 pm
- Mondays in August from 4-5 pm
Handwriting Heroes – children entering 3rd through 5th grade
We understand that confident handwriting starts with strong fine motor foundations, and summer is the perfect time to keep those skills sharp without it feeling like schoolwork. This group offers game-based handwriting practice, creative fine motor challenges, and fun coordination exercises to improve control, precision, and writing endurance.
- Month-Long Sessions:
- Wednesdays in July from 4-5 pm
- Wednesdays in August from 4-5 pm
Little Literacy Learners – pre-K and kindergarten-aged children
The early years are crucial for building a strong foundation in literacy. Our Little Literacy Learners group helps kids explore letters, sounds, and early reading skills in a fun, pressure-free environment. With the relaxed pace of summer, it’s the perfect time to reinforce literacy through play-based, hands-on activities that build confidence in letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and early word-building.
- Month-Long Sessions:
- Fridays in July from 9:30 – 10:30 am
- Fridays in August from 9:30 – 10:30 am
Ready, Set, READ! – early readers entering 1st and 2nd grades
Learning to read is an exciting milestone, but it takes practice, confidence, and the right support! This group is designed for early readers who are beginning to sound out words, recognize sight words, and develop fluency. Through interactive reading games, storytelling, music, and hands-on activities, children will build confidence in decoding, comprehension, spelling, and expressive language while engaging with peers.
- Month-Long Sessions:
- Wednesday in July from 4-5 pm
- Wednesdays in August from 4-5 pm
Middle School Bootcamp – incoming middle schoolers
Starting middle school is a big transition! With so many changes happening at once, this group offers a supportive space to practice key skills and build confidence before the school year begins. Participants will learn to navigate a class schedule, use a combination lock, locate rooms using a school directory, and develop organization strategies for transitioning between classes. The group will also address social pressures and provide a space to process feelings about this major milestone.
- Sessions:
- Monday, August 18th from 4-5:30 pm
- Thursday, August 21st from 4-5:30 pm
What makes Puzzle Pieces’ groups different?
Our groups all use our developmental approach, focused on tailoring activities and interactions to meet each child where they are, fostering growth rather than focusing on isolated behaviors. We prioritize the process over the product, ensuring there’s no single “right” way to participate. This approach allows children to engage in a way that feels natural and comfortable to them, creating a joyful, low-pressure environment where they can build confidence, social connections, and essential skills at their own pace.
Read more about all of our summer groups here. To sign up for one or more of our summer groups, use this link. We can’t wait to see you and your child this summer!