United Way of Greater Cincinnati is hosting two rain-or-shine events this Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of its Day of Action: Wild About Reading! at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden; and the Kindergarten Readiness Fun Fair at UC East in Batavia.
Tickets for the Zoo are discounted at $7 (including parking) and the event in Batavia is free.
Each June, communities around the world come together to harness the volunteer spirit during the United Way Day of Action. In Greater Cincinnati, 2016 events are focused on engaging parents, caregivers and kids in building reading skills and preparing for kindergarten.
“Summer learning opportunities are critical in preventing learning loss and are especially important for low-income students who lack access to enrichment programs once the school doors close for summer,” said Amber Brown, senior education manager, United Way of Greater Cincinnati. “Ensuring that all children and youth have the opportunity to learn in the summer is a critical strategy to closing the achievement gap in our community.”
Wild About Reading! at the Cincinnati Zoo will feature a coloring activity with the Cincinnati Preschool Promise.
Other activities and organizations participating at the Zoo:
Interactive drumming and dancing | Bi-Okoto Cultural Institute
Bookmark creating | Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati
Live animal encounter | Cincinnati Zoo
Interactive storytime – The Loudest Roar | DramaKinetics
Hip-hop dance class | Elementz
Children’s dancing and singing | Growing Sound
SUNsational Science activity | iSPACE
Puppet show – Aesop’s Classic Fables | Madcap Puppets
Life-sized board game | The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton Co.
Photobooth | TapSnap
Family volunteer activity | United Way Volunteer Connection
Short-story writing on typewriters | WordPlay Cincy
Healthy plate activity | YMCA of Greater Cincinnati
Calming yoga for kids | The Yoga Bar
Activities at the Kindergarten Readiness Fun Fair include: crafts for kids, face painting, a healthy cooking session, information on summer library programs, interactive storytelling, a moon bounce and a prize raffle. The following organizations are participating:
· Adopt-a-Book
· Brown County Public Library, Mt. Orab branch
· Cincinnati Nature Center
· Child Focus
· Cincinnati Circus
· Cincinnati Face Painters
· Clermont County Public Health District
· Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
· Help Me Grow
· Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)
· The Literacy Council of Clermont and Brown County
· OSU Extension
· YMCA of Greater Cincinnati
· YWCA of Greater Cincinnati