Countdown to Kindergarten (C2K) offers 90-minute to two-hour playgroups throughout the week. The sessions offer caregivers and children a fun space for sing-a-longs, story time, and circle time. The actual program is headquartered in Roxbury, but playgroup leaders have gone to schools, libraries, and community centers in West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, and Dorchester.

Countdown tends to be pretty private about their specific meeting places and times, as they want to make sure parents who actually live in Boston are able to take advantage of the resource. We regularly weed through various sources to hunt down this information to make it easier for families searching online. Below is the 2025-2026 schedule (that we know of) thus far.

• Mondays | Connolly Library, Jamaica Plain | 1:30pm - 3:00pm

C2K is funded by the city of Boston and serves as a pipeline for Boston Public Schools. For example, C2K encourages families to practice child development skills in fun ways (such as fine motor) in hopes that when the child is on their own, they can open their own snacks. While the program's goal is school readiness, families who are not interested in the Boston Public School system can also attend as long as they live in the city.

Unfortunately C2K only allows families one playgroup per week. If you want to fill your calendar with other playgroups, we made a list for you here.