Now celebrating the two-year anniversary of its existence, Program Director Jenn Becker said they’ve reached that goal and then some.

“We have definitely hit that mark,” she said. “We started slow in that first year. We made sure we had all our ducks in a row, but now we are a well-oiled machine.”

The center, located on the second floor of the Wells Fargo Building at 822 Central Ave., was the vision of Becker and Linking Families and Communities Executive Director Elizabeth Stanek.

It is open to all younger children and their families, but is mostly geared toward kids between the ages of 2 and 5. The center features five activity stations focusing on imagination, art, engineering, sensory play and movement.

-Submitted photo
Children and their parents play with a big umbrella in the St. Edmond gym during a Super Saturday session with the Fort Dodge Play and Learn Center. The center, which opened on Aug. 17, 2022, has expanded to include off-site activities for children and their families.

Becker hosts “open play” sessions several days a week. The two-hour play sessions are unstructured — the parents and the kids decide what they want to do. Activities vary from painting to playing dress-up, to scooping cereal and pouring it into small cups to exercise fine motor skills.

However, Becker and her team of volunteers have expanded opportunities for the children and their families, thanks in part to some grants the center received and support from local corporations and businesses.

They’ve been able to offer off-site activities. This past week, they held a session at the new Rivers Edge Discovery Center. They will also learn about the Dragon Boat Festival and attend the Flower Festival at the Community Orchard among other things.

“We’ve been able to start to expand a little bit,” said Becker. “This summer we’ve partnered with the city and Webster County Conservation. We are all these entities trying to offer the same thing and give opportunities for young families and young children. We’ve joined forces and have been able to reach some new audiences.”

Becker also said a goal of the center is to expand its name recognition so more families know about the things it offers.

“Our vision has been met in the sense we are serving the families we are serving,” said Becker. “What we still aim to do is expand our reach. There are still so many people in our community that don’t know about us. That’s our biggest goal, to reach more families, spread awareness and be sure that those that want to come know about us and can come.”

Each of the center’s sessions are capped at 20 children. Sometimes even 15, if it is a structured type activity.

“It can get pretty full here,” said Becker. “This past winter, we had a partnership with the area schools (St. Paul’s, St. Edmond and the FDCSD) and we had what we called Super Saturday Sessions at the schools in their gymnasiums. We don’t have the space where kids can just run and jump and move, which a lot of times is what they need to do when we’re stuck inside in the winter. We hope to continue to do that because those sessions allow more kids to come in.”

Becker said the idea of actually expanding the space and moving to a bigger place is something they talk about, but something she wants to take slowly.

“We don’t want to jump into something we can’t sustain,” she said. “I don’t know how fast we’ll be able to. It’s just a goal right now.”

When the center first opened, Linking Families provided the main funding to get the center started. They also received some local support. In the past year, the center has been able to obtain some additional corporate sponsors.

“If we can continue to get some grants and sponsorships, we can make that move. Time will tell,” Becker added.

The team of volunteers, which right now is eight, normally supervises the open play sessions at the center. Becker leads the more structured times, including music and any activities off site. The former Butler School teacher said despite that heavy load, she’s more than willing to do it.

“It’s a passion of mine,” she said. “That’s where the original idea of this came from. I had my first child and we were in an Iowa winter, and we didn’t really have anywhere to take him. We used to take him to the mall and let him run. Now we don’t have that anymore. So it’s a self-driven passion to keep this going in our community.”

Becker said this year the center received a grant from the Ann Smeltzer Charitable Trust and the Community Foundation and part of those funding requests included money for 500 free play cards to the center for any family that can’t afford the daily fees. She said schools were given those cards last May before school let out. Every school and daycare received a handful of play cards to give out to families.

“We had two goals in mind,” Becker said. “One, to reach families that may not know about us and two, to say here’s a free session. Go check it out because we know that not everyone can afford it.”

Becker said businesses and other individuals have also purchased six-visit cards with the desire to donate them to families in need.

There is a $4 fee for each open play session — or a six-visit punch card for $20 — which goes to help sustain the space and purchase supplies and activities. Families pre-register for the open play sessions because each session is limited to 20 children.

Anyone interested in volunteering or wanting more information on the program, or to donate, can email Becker at FDPLC@linking-families.com. The preregistration link can be found on the Fort Dodge Play & Learn Center Facebook page or the center’s website, http://linking-families.com/fdplc.

Schedules are released on a seasonal-basis, Becker said. The center is in its back-to-school schedule, which will run until the end of September. Then the fall schedule will be released, which is October through December. Weekend sessions will continue to be offered along with the weekday sessions.

Daily sessions are typically 9 to 11 a.m. and the center tries to open two to three times per week, all dependent on volunteer availability.

Music classes, Open Play and a monthly Postpartum Play and Connect group are offered on a consistent basis. Becker said the postpartum session is free and it’s a chance to connect and share knowledge for mothers. Siblings are welcome, but it’s meant for adults to discuss, share and connect, she said.

The Play and Learn at the Park sessions and Super Saturday indoor sessions will be offered again on a seasonal basis.