Vanderbilt University Hands-On Play Lab

02/25/2026

Drum up discovery in an exciting new study! Your child will complete a few different activities, including drumming, while we safely measure their brain waves. Trained lab members will put a non-invasive cap on your child’s head that will allow us to examine underlying brain activity. Your child will receive 8 weeks of drumming lessons, which will begin after the first or second visit to the lab. We are looking for participants between the ages of 7 and 12 that have been diagnosed with Down syndrome. If your child meets these requirements and you are interested in learning more about the study, please contact us at [email protected] or (615) 343-1079.

linktr.ee/handsonplaylab

02/25/2026

The Hands-On Play Lab and LAND Lab are excited to announce that we are beginning a new study looking at how infants develop early hand skills! The study involves 4 in-lab visits where our trained researchers will do different hands-on activities with your child. For the first lab visit, we are looking for participants who are 9 months of age who are typically developing. The following lab visits will be scheduled for when your child is 12, 18, and 24 months old. If you are interested in learning more about the study, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or (615) 343-1079.

linktr.ee/handsonplaylab

09/05/2025

Drum up discovery in an exciting new study! Your child will complete a few different activities, including drumming, while we safely measure their brain waves. Trained lab members will put a non-invasive cap on your child’s head that will allow us to examine underlying brain activity. Your child will receive 8 weeks of drumming lessons, which will begin after the first or second visit to the lab. We are looking for participants between the ages of 7 and 15 that have been diagnosed with Down syndrome. If your child meets these requirements and you are interested in learning more about the study, please contact us at [email protected] or (615) 343-1079.

The parent of a participant shared that her son really enjoyed his drumming lessons. They had a positive experience during their on-campus visits to Vanderbilt and looked forward to seeing the research assistants there. She is glad that she and her son participated in the study and said that it was a good experience for him.

06/30/2025

On Saturday, September 27, Gigi's Playhouse is hosting their annual Get Down for Down Syndrome Dance-A-Thon—a high-energy, inclusive dance party and fundraiser that brings our community together to celebrate individuals with Down syndrome while supporting GiGi’s free programs!

03/17/2025

Join us at our upcoming My PlayClub event this Sunday, March 23rd from 1:30pm until 3:30pm at Granny White Park☀️Hope to see you there!

10/26/2024

Hi everyone! Unfortunately, we had to cancel My PlayClub for today. We were not informed of the Pig Fest that was going on today around the playground! There is no parking near the playground, but in case anyone is here, we have a video on our story showing you how to get to us. We’ll be doing an abbreviated version of the event in case anyone was already on their way. We hope to still see a few of you if you’re able to make it!

So sorry for the inconvenience!

10/21/2024

We were so proud of Supreethi and Siwen for their work on their poster presentation at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day!🥳

09/25/2024

Join us at our upcoming My PlayClub event this Sunday, September 29th from 2:00pm until 4:30pm! We hope to see you there!

03/20/2024

Join us for our inclusive playdate at Mary’s Magical Place on March 30th! There will be snacks, crafts, and other activities for children of all ages and abilities! Follow the link in our bio for more information and to RSVP. We hope to see you there!

02/07/2024

The Hands-On Play Lab is excited to announce we are beginning a new study focusing on the ways that your child learns from and plays with toys! The study requires two in-lab visits where our trained researchers will study how your child interacts with the different toys/activities that are given to them. We are looking for participants who are around 4 years of age who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome or have a motor delay. If your child meets either of these requirements and you are interested in learning more about the study, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or (615) 343-1079.

11/27/2023

Join us for our inclusive playdate at Granny White Park on December 2nd! There will be snacks, crafts, and other activities for children of all ages and abilities! Scan the QR code or follow the link in our bio to RSVP!