The first sign that a garage sale is a big deal: We have to park a block away.
My husband, my toddler, and I (wearing our infant, born just after we moved to Missoula) make our way through the most well-organized garage sale I have ever seen. For $10 a bag, we collect kids’ clothes and small toys. Larger items, spread across the lawn, are priced separately. We overstuff our first bag and get a second. On the way out, we pick up a flyer for PLAY Network, organizers of this giant swap.
PLAY Network is a local group focused on connecting families with young children. Events include frequent playgroups at playgrounds or the library, at least quarterly meet-ups for just parents, and parties for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, back-to-school, Halloween, and the winter holidays. Most events are members-only, and membership is $35 annually.
“I moved here and I didn’t really have a network of people. And then I found the PLAY Network,” said current president Stephanie McIntosh. “It’s so rewarding to see all the families networking together, people being able to have friends that they can eventually call family to rely on.”
That is exactly what Beth Jaffe had in mind when she founded what would become PLAY Network almost 25 years ago.
“That was the primary vision, just having a way to find a playgroup, especially for people who are in some kind of outlier position,” she said. “I was kinda new to the area, and didn’t have a lot of friends. I was in a playgroup, and it saved my life.”
PLAY Network can also be a great resource for people who choose to have kids before or after their local friends. That’s how it was for Jacole Johnson, who joined in 2016.
“I was shifting into a new version of myself,” she said. “It was encouraging me to show up for these things versus going someplace and trying to make friends on my own. Sending in that RSVP holds you a little bit more accountable to get yourself out of the house.”
Early on in her efforts to set up the club, Beth met with another woman interested in being part of the leadership effort.
“This was someone I’d never have met just walking around Missoula,” Beth said. “We’re all walking around reading the cover of everyone’s book—we see that and make quick judgments. But here I was having this wonderful, in-depth conversation, and I thought yeah, let’s go ahead and do this.”
And so, PLAY Network—playgroups, networked together—was born. The group started setting up events like police station tours, where kids got to sit in police cars and learn not to be so scared of the loud sirens. They even got to get inside a helicopter on top of the hospital.
But it’s not just about fun events for kids. The group also provides support for members, whether it’s a meal train for someone dealing with a tough medical diagnosis, or simply a safe space to talk with other adults.
“I enjoy doing the Real Talk every month because you get to dive deeper into conversations and let things out and hear what other people are going through and get support,” Stephanie said. “It’s hard to actually talk to people when you’re chasing your kids all over.”
Inclusiveness was a big focus from the start, and that lives on today.
“We are working very hard to accommodate all families,” Stephanie said. “The more diverse families we get the more that we can expand how we do things. We’ve got three dads, two couples, a single father—a wide range of volunteering board members.”
“It might not be the same people but it has the same energy,” added Jacole, who joined the board this year.
Reflecting on the group she created, Beth feels proud of her contribution to Missoula.
“Even today I’ll run into somebody at a yoga class or walking in the woods, and they had that fun time because of something I did, and it’s really a good feeling,” she said.
Swap is a benefit to group members and the larger community, contributing to the circular economy and making possible donations back to local nonprofits like the food bank or Ronald McDonald House.
“I never have to buy clothes for my son,” Stephanie said. “I also get to share the clothes that we have enjoyed and see other people’s kids wear them and it’s just so fun.”
Earlier this year, my husband and I joined the board and hosted our first swap. In just two years as members of PLAY Network, and in perfect keeping with its spirit, we go from outsiders to part of the beating heart of our community.
Find out more at PlayNetworkMissoula.org.
“I was kinda new to the area, and didn’t have a lot of friends. I was in a playgroup, and it saved my life.” - Beth Jaffe
"We go from outsiders to part of the beating heart of our community." - Emma Trotter