Simplified: Fun & Friends started with two moms who each had a child with Down Syndrome getting together for play dates. Now, in just over a year, the Sioux Falls nonprofit has brought together hundreds of families with children with disabilities, rare diseases and who are on the spectrum – all for the sake of having fun with casual, free, consistent events.

Why it matters

  • Sioux Falls has many resources to meet the medical and therapeutic needs of the disability community, but Fun & Friends has a goal to fill the need for fun, friendship and community building both for individuals with disabilities and their families.
  • For Alyssa Schmidt, a parent of twin boys who are on the spectrum, Fun & Friends has been not only a social outlet, but also a way to connect with other resources in the community she otherwise wouldn't have known existed. Her boys now do a weekly adaptive gymnastics class she heard about from another parent at a Fun & Friends meetup.
  • One of the primary goals of Fun & Friends is to help people feel less alone. That includes not only the children with disabilities but also their parents and siblings.
"The goal is that it never feels drab or sad," Co-Founder and President Jenni Winslow said. "We want things to feel high-end, nice and well thought-through."

Tell me more

Fun & Friends has three different programs, each of which hosts a get-together at least monthly. Those include:

  • 3,2,1 Fun: a playgroup for infants through preschoolers. This group was initially founded in 2023 by both Winslow and Nadene Fishback. It started as a group specific to kids with Down Syndrome but has since expanded to include kids with any disability, rare disease or who is on the spectrum.
  • Fun & Friends, Jr.: a social group for kids age 5 through 12.
  • Fun & Friends Teen and Adult: a social group for teens and adults (This group also puts on an annual Winter Ball, which is like a prom tailor-made for the disability community.)

This spring, Fun & Friends hosted its first Family-Friendly Disability Resource Expo, an event where more than 400 people attended and had a chance to meet with 60 local disability resources.

These monthly meet-ups often partner with local businesses for various sensory-friendly, adaptive activities, or it can be as simple as meeting up in a local park.

"At the heart of it, we're all on the same page as parents," Winslow said.

What makes Fun & Friends so special, Schmidt said, is their attention to detail and to making sure every single kid feels welcome and understood.

  • She shared the example of a questionnaire sent out to parents before one of the events asking for things like their kids favorite snack (including brand and flavor), favorite song, special interests and more.
  • Then, at a recent event, the group played a song about construction vehicles that her boys love and listen to daily.
"It’s that type of village feeling that can be really hard to find that as a parent of neurodiverse kid or a kid with a disability," Schmidt said.

How can I get involved?

Fun & Friends has private Facebook groups for each of its programs, and all events are free to attend. You can also learn more about upcoming events on the nonprofit's website.

The organization also relies on donors to keep its events free and accessible to all who need them. You can offer financial support here.

You can also sign up to volunteer, or provide items on the nonprofit's Amazon wishlist.