The Rainbow Families Playgroup runs from the Joseph Sargent Community Centre in Erskineville and provides parents and carers with an opportunity to meet other parents, make friends and share experiences and ideas. Children have fun, make new friends and develop through play.
“Most of us don’t live in quarter acre blocks, so the thought of setting up art and painting in your apartment can be a headache,” says a playgroup mum. “It’s great to come here and let the kids have those experiences. At each Thursday morning session, children have an opportunity to play music, play with water, make artworks and explore with toys”.
The children all sit together for morning tea which is an opportunity to socialise and learn food etiquette from each other. Currently, there are also a number of parents with little babies attending, providing a friendly environment for LGBTQ+ parents to chat, swap information, swap baby clothes and get support for being a new rainbow family.
A wide variety of families come to playgroup including lesbian mothers, gay dads, queer parents trans and gender diverse parents and other Rainbow families. Friendships made at playgroup have continued outside of the group, for both the parents and the children. Many friendships continue once the children leave to attend school. The group is 100% volunteer, is run by LGBTQ+ parents and is part of the playgroup network of Playgroup NSW, which is very supportive of the group.
Playgroup attendance evolves over time, kids go off to school and new babies arrive. All playgroups depend on new memberships and families getting involved help them grow and keep them running! We would love new members to come and be part of our group!
For more information on the playgroup please contact us, or just turn up on the day. Our weekly session fees are $3.
The Rainbow Families Playgroup in Erskineville is one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ family playgroups in Australia. In 2009, several babies and their LGBTQ+ parents started meeting regularly at various cafes and playgrounds around the inner west. They met for friendship both for the children and the parents, and for their children to be around other families similar to theirs. The group’s founder, Nadine Sharpe approached Playgroups NSW about joining their organisation in order to create a more permanent space that could welcome more families. Playgroups NSW was happy to have a Rainbow Family group and the Erskineville playgroup was established and became a funded group through Playgroups NSW that serves lesbian mums, gay dads, bisexual, transsexual, and queer (LGBTQ+) families, including grandparents from around Sydney and beyond.
Where: Joseph Sargent Community Centre
60 Prospect St
Erskineville
When: Thursdays from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Contact: Ashley on 0481 565 958 or email