City Council learns about Tod Pod free playgroup for young families
The Bloomington City Council received an overview of Tod Pod, a free community playgroup designed to support families with children under five and reduce parental isolation through regular activities and social connection.
Tod Pod is a free playgroup serving families with children from birth to five years old who live in or near Bloomington. The program aims to address a common challenge for new parents: isolation and the need for community connection during the early childhood years.
The playgroup offers a variety of activities throughout the year to keep families engaged. These include weekly park play dates at rotating locations, story times, stroller walks (such as those at Lake Normandale), and nature programs. By providing consistent, structured opportunities for children to play and parents to connect, Tod Pod helps build community among caregivers while giving young children important social and developmental experiences.
The program's core mission is twofold: to foster connections among parents and caregivers in the Bloomington area, and to provide children with regular play opportunities in a supportive environment. By offering free programming, Tod Pod removes financial barriers that might prevent families from accessing these services.
No votes were recorded during this discussion, indicating the council was receiving informational updates about the program rather than making policy decisions. The presentation suggests the city council is engaged with understanding community programs that serve young families and their caregivers.
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Source document
[0:00] (bright music)
[0:04] - [Isabel] People are gonna
always welcome you with a smile.
[0:07] - [Ryan] What we aim to do is make sure
[0:08] that they feel like they're
part of a community.
[0:10] - Tod Pod is a free playgroup
for families with children,
[0:14] age birth to five years old who live in
[0:16] or near Bloomington, Minnesota.
[0:18] It's babies, it's toddlers,
it's preschool-aged children
[0:21] all coming together with
their caregivers to the park,
[0:24] to an indoor play space,
all with the purpose
[0:27] of playing and connecting.
[0:29] Tod Pod offers a lot of things.
[0:31] Our core offering is a
weekly park play date.
[0:34] - [Ryan] That rotates
through different parks
[0:35] through Bloomington.
[0:36] - [Tara] We also offer
a weekly story time,
[0:38] 30 minutes of songs and stories,
[0:41] followed by open play at the park.
[0:42] - [Ryan] We offer a stroller
walk around Lake Normandale.
[0:46] - [Tara] We have nature
programs once a month
[0:48] that have a small fee.
[0:49] - We offer adult programming too,
[0:51] like a morning workout session.
[0:53] We offer programming year-round
[0:55] because there is always a
need to get out of the house
[0:57] and connect with other families.
[0:59] - You don't feel alone
[1:00] and you don't have to
navigate this weird world
[1:03] of parenting by yourself.
[1:05] - [Ryan] What I love most about Tod Pod
[1:06] is just all the friends we've made.
[1:08] - [Tara] You can count on Tod Pod
[1:09] for weekly schedule of things to do
[1:12] with your kids and know
that you'll go there
[1:15] and you'll have other adults to bond with
[1:17] over this season of life.
[1:18] - [Ryan] This is a great
way to meet neighbors,
[1:20] families, and other
people in your community.
[1:22] - Connect with us at Tad Pod.
[1:24] (speaks in Spanish)
[1:26] - Join us, it's so much fun.
[1:28] (bright music)
[1:35] (music fades)
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