a hall or other public venue, and the groups usually organize other social activities such as Ladies Nights Out, visits to local parks and zoos, summer barbecues etc. In Maastricht, for example, the Maastricht International Playgroup was established more than 10 years ago as a way to cater to the needs of expatriate families living in and around the area. Another International Playgroup is First Friends in Voorhout (in the Leiden area). Playgroups in Australia Playgroup Australia is the national peak and administrative body for playgroups in Australia. Playgroup is an informal session where mums, dads, grand parents, caregivers, children and babies meet together in a relaxed environment. Playgroups are set up and run by parents and caregivers, with children choosing from a range of activities set up to meet their varying needs. Activities at playgroup are either free or low cost, and may include music and singing, imaginative play, outdoor and free play, art and craft activities or outings. Playgroups can be held anywhere that is safe for children and where groups of people can meet – community and neighbourhood centres, health clinics, women's centres, preschools and kindergartens, church halls and even in someone's house. In a playgroup, parents and caregivers stay to interact with the other adults and to play with the children. No child is too young for playgroup. All children from 0–5 years, including babies, love new experiences and benefit from developing sensory, social and communication skills through activities at playgroup. March 2003 saw a dramatic increase in the number of mothers attending playgroup. Playgroups in Hong Kong In Hong Kong, pre-school children (0 – 3 years) join playgroups to study (mostly foreign languages) in an interactive environment before they go on to kindergartens. Playgroups in Philippines In the Philippines, typical playgroup activity centers can be usually seen in malls where parents can leave their children for a few minutes to a few hours in an interactive environment where they can play and learn together with random group of children. There are also toddler playgroup class in several schools which offers a combination of Family Music, story telling, sensory activities, simple puzzles, match and sorting activities. References External links Pre-school Learning Alliance (UK) Early childhood education Education in the United Kingdom Family School types