LSU Health New Orleans’ School of Allied Health Professions is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its Tigers & Tots Indoor Playground. Through the LSU Health School of Allied Health Professions, the playground is a vibrant, inclusive space where learning, play and therapeutic growth come together. Designed to support the developmental and emotional needs of young children, the playground offers a welcoming environment for families with children ages three and under at no cost.
Located at the Human Development Center at 411 S. Prieur Street, children at Tigers & Tots are free to engage in unstructured play and can also benefit from access to developmental screenings, assessments, parenting education and support through the School of Allied Health Professions. In addition to being a play space, the indoor playground serves as a hands-on training environment for students enrolled in LSU Health School of Allied Health Professions programs including Physician Assistant Studies, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Child and Family Counseling, Audiology and Early Childhood Initiatives.
“We are thrilled to welcome families into the Tigers & Tots Indoor Playground. We designed this space in alignment with our mission to enrich the lives of children and families through hands-on learning experiences,” said Dr. Erin Dugan, dean of the School of Allied Health Professions and clinical director of the LSU Health New Orleans Child & Family Counseling Clinic. “Community is at the core of our work, and caregivers now have a resource where their children can be screened, assessed and supported as they grow.”
In June, university leaders, public officials and team members assembled for an informal ribbon cutting, joined by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter.
“The Tigers & Tots Indoor Playground represents an investment in our children, our families and our future,” Rep. Carter said. “By combining state-of-the-art child development expertise and the warmth of the New Orleans community, LSU Health New Orleans is showing what it means to lead in both health and education. I am proud to support this endeavor.”
The Tigers & Tots Indoor Playground was made possible by a grant from the Agenda for Children’s Early Childhood Opportunity Fund.
For more information on hours of operation, visiting the playground, clinical-led screenings and educational resources, visit the LSU Health New Orleans website here. To keep up with everything happening with Tigers & Tots, follow @tigersandtots on Instagram.
