For this second week of summer enrichment, I am recommending mostly games and activities from Starfall, Room Recess and NASA. The educational games and online activities may not work on all devices or browsers. You may have to create a free account in order to use them or to save your child’s progress. I have included these resources with the hope of encouraging children to practice what they have already learned, but often on the pages I linked to, there will be links to further resources so children can review what they’ve learned or learn more. Please email me at charityawareness@commonheart.org with questions or comments.

Online Games and Activities for Preschoolers

Weigh This

3D shapes

Geometry & Measurement:Time

Word Machines

Learn to Read with Phonics

Selected Nursery Rhymes and Songs for Kids

Let’s Make a Calendar!

Easy Color by Numbers

PBS KIDS: Get Moving! | Fast and Slow Again

PBS Kids Summer Learning Storytelling Videos

ELINOR WONDERS WHY | That’s So Interesting! Short videos

Educational Videos for Toddlers

Neighborhood Helpers | PBS KIDS

PBS Kids Water Play songs

SING-A-LONG WITH PBS KIDS

PBS KID Rocks!

Recommended for Kindergarteners

Measurement

Pop Bubbles from 100

Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To Game

Counting to 20

It’s Fun to Read

Learn to Read with Short Vowel Pals!

How to Draw PBS Kids Characters

Cloudy Day Word Play | Sight Word Game

Spider Swatter | Missing Letter Alphabet Game

Monster Color Match | Color Matching Games for Kids

Beginning Sounds | Letter Game

Monkey In The Middle | Middle Sounds Game

Rhyme Round Up | Rhyming Games Online for Kids

Double Click Shapes and Colors | Mouse Practice Shapes Games

Alpha Jet Pets | Letter Game | Uppercase & Lowercase Letters

The ScratchJr app – With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on computers.

First Grade Review (rising 2nd Grade)

Starfall: I’m Reading

Add <= 10 Machine

Addition and Subtraction Strategies (The Ladder)

Compose & Decompose Numbers game

Math Journey

Coin Monkey

Subtract <= 20 Machine

Snowball Fight | Basic Math Facts (Additions, Subtraction, Multiplication, & Division)

Treasure Hunt | Number Recognition Games Online for Kids

Sight Word Safari

Rhyme Round Up | Rhyming Games Online for Kids

Sight Word Smash

Vowel Popper | Long & Short Vowel Game

Vowel Ace | Long and Short Vowel Sounds Game

Syllable Slurp | Syllable Games | Vowel Sounds, Nouns & Verbs

Sorting Spring | Comparison Colors Game

Boom Blocks | Math Facts & Number Recognition

Letter Matcher | Uppercase and Lowercase Matching Game

Number Matcher | RoomRecess.com

123Toys! Counting Number Game

PBS Kids Hero Elementary Videos

New Downloadable Kids Audiobooks from the Union County Public Library

Second Grade Review (Rising 3rd Grade)

Starfall: Tangrams

Let’s Make A Pizza

Robot Add and Subtract

Monkey Mash

Snakes and Spikes | Number Ordering and Sequencing

Tic-Math-Toe | Tic Tac Toe Math Game

Time Hunter | Telling Time Games | Elapsed Time Online

Zombie Paintball | Skip Counting Games Online | Number Patterns

Bounce | Free Spelling Game for Kids

Wordyloo | Swipe Letters to Form Words

Popcorn Typer | Typing Game for Kids & Elementary Students

Bango | Place Value Games Online for Kids

Play Solar System Switch-a-Roo!

Third Grade Review (Rising 4th Grade)

Crazy Gator

Under the Sea

Lost Aliens

Wordyloo | Swipe Letters to Form Words

Hoppy | Syllable Games Online for Kids

Say What?! | Mad Libs Game

Word Shark | Parts of Speech Game | Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives

Grammar Police | Prefix Games Online | Language Arts Game for Kids

Jumpin Jack | Authors Purpose & Figurative Language

Vocab Vik | Vocabulary Games Online for Kids

Reading Raiders | Cause and Effect Games | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade

Draw Conclusions | Free Reading Skills Game

Main Idea | Free Reading Skills Game for Kids & Elementary Students

Typing Games for Kids | Mouse Games | Computer Lab

Turbo Typer | Typing Race Car Games Online

Splash the Sub | Water Balloon Game for Kids | Drawing Conclusions

Main Idea and Supporting Details Quiz

Syllable Slurp | Syllable Games | Vowel Sounds, Nouns & Verbs

Main Idea Millionaire

Fool’s Gold | Free Parts of Speech Game Online

Sequencing | Free Educational Reading Skills Game for Elementary StudentsSolar Sequence | Sequencing Reading Game for Kids

Context Clues | Reading Skills Center Game | Free Activity for Elementary Students

Falling Stars | Word Forming Spelling Game

Analogies | Free Analogies Game for Kids Online

Cause and Effect | Free Reading Skills Game 

ABC order 

Comprehension Crane | Reading Comprehension Questions for Kids 

Dash | Multiples and Skip Counting Game for Kids choose the numbers in order and don’t hit the birds

Base Ten Blocks | Place Value | Free Math GameCoin Collector | Coin Games Free | Counting Money 

Coins for Candy | Money Counting Game | Coin Counting

Time Matcher | Date and Time Conversions Game | RoomRecess.com

Sir Roundalot | Online Rounding Games for Kids

Boom Blocks | Math Facts & Number Recognition

Cheese Race | Free Math Facts Game for Kids

Block Buster | Fact Family Games for Kids

Spacebase 360 | Solving Inequalities Online

Road Racer | Cool Math Car Games | Comparing Numbers

Fast Facts | Free Timed Math Facts Games Online for Kids

Fraction Farm | Free Fraction Game for Kids Online

Pizzeria Parlor | Pizza Fraction Games Online

Zap-A-Zoid | Factors and Multiples Games Online

Decimalus Rex | Comparing Decimal Games Online

Alien Addends | Free Missing Addend Game for Kids

Time Teller | Telling Time Game | Reading a Clock | Elapsed Time Game 

Monster Truck Mystery Number | Free Monster Truck Games for Kids

Space Pets | Skip Counting Games for Kids

Geo Patterns | Pattern Games 

Geo Tombs | Area and Perimeter Games Online 

FAQ for the free Scratch programming language – design your own games and animations

Kid Heroes Fractions | Online Fraction Games for Kids

Rising 5th to Rising 7th Grade

Know It All! | Trivia Questions for Kids Game

Beach Jeep | ELA Games | Plural Nouns, Irregular Verbs, Adjectives, and Adverbs

Jet Tank | Place Value Games Online for Kids | 4th and 5th grade<

Cell Shock | Figurative Language Games Online | Sensory Details

Say What?! | Mad Libs Game

Click States | Games with States and Capitals | 50 States, Capitals, and Nicknames

Kid Heroes Verbs | Verb Games Online

Road Racer | Cool Math Car Games | Comparing Numbers

Freddy Football | Cool Math Sports Game Online

Alpha-Quick | Type the Alphabet | ABC Typing

Trick or Trait | Character Traits for Kids

Light the Lamps | Find the Difference Games for Kids

Decimalus Rex | Comparing Decimal Games Online

Math Race | Cool Footrace Game Online

Tic-Math-Toe | Tic Tac Toe Math Game

Time Hunter | Telling Time Games | Elapsed Time Online

Shot Clock | Basketball Math Games

Zap-A-Zoid | Factors and Multiples Games Online

Spot Kicker | Soccer Math Game

Temple Tantrums

Missiles & Multiples | Multiples Games for Kids

Absolute Zero | Negative Number Sense Game with Integers

Block Buster | Fact Family Games for Kids

Fraction Fighters | Fractions Games for Kids Online

Snowball Fight | Basic Math Facts (Additions, Subtraction, Multiplication, & Division)

Astro Blaster | Estimating and Rounding Games Online

Popcorn Typer | Typing Game for Kids & Elementary Students

Spelling Bees | Free Spelling Games for Kids

Cannonball Cats | Figurative Language | Similes, Metaphors, Personification, Hyperbole

Cheese Race | Free Math Facts Game for Kids

In Other Words | Anagram Word Game

Bango | Place Value Games Online for Kids

Authors Purpose | Free Reading Skills Game

Falling Stars | Word Forming Spelling Game

Math Quest | Adventure Game for Kids

Bad Apples | Free Word Forming Games for Kids

Prefix Popper | Free Prefix Games Online

Whack-A-Troll | Free Math Facts Game for Kids Online

Fool’s Gold | Free Parts of Speech Game Online

Kid Heroes Theme | Story Theme Games Online

Color Your Universe: Find the Hidden Objects

Imagine the Universe! – Space Forensics

Scope It Out! game Webb Telescope/NASA

Middle School

Cambridge Ventures Arcade Drag and Drop

Play Earth Squad, Go! | Free Online KS2 Science Game for Kids

Play Junkateers | KS2 Science Free Online Game for Kids

Meet the Greenhouse Gases!

Explore Mars: A Mars Rover Game

Go With the Flow: An Ocean Currents Game

DSN Uplink-Downlink: A DSN Game

Play Helios: A Game About How the Sun Makes Energy!

Trace Space Back to You | Home & City 3

Write your own zany adventure story!

StarChild: A Learning Center for Young Astronomers

High School

PBS NC At-Home Learning Broadcast Schedule

Historical Films and Documentaries – FREE HOMESCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL

Recommend Movies for Teens – FREE HOMESCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL

Recommended Books for Teens – FREE HOMESCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL

Learn4Good 

Ology Games and Activities

Build It Yourself! game Satellite/NASA

Make Code

Help Others Improve Their Literacy Skills

You can make a difference in someone’s life by volunteering to be a literacy tutor with SPCC.

Volunteering is easy and important. There are only a few requirements:

• a high school diploma or equivalent (GED, HiSET, or TASC)
• complete the in-house training
• a passion for helping others with crucial life skills

If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Dr. R.J. Lightsey at rlightsey@spcc.edu or 704-290-5261.

Union County Senior Nutrition Program

There are four Senior Nutrition meal sites throughout Union County which will allow you to serve seniors in the area closest to your home during the week, Monday-Friday mornings.

Volunteer opportunities include: 

• delivering meals to homebound clients
• helping in the kitchen 
• putting on activities at any of the congregate meal sites
• and many more!

If you are interested, call 704-296-4300 x 5475 or email SeniorNutrition@unioncountync.gov.

Community Shelter of Union County’s food program

The Community Shelter provides a variety of different options to meet the varying needs of Union County Residents across the county. These food services include:

Dining Hall

Drive-thru Pantry

Senior Food Boxes

To offer this scope of services, they need all hands on deck! Looking for a way to get involved and be a part of meeting tangible needs for our community? Fill out a volunteer application and their team will help you find a volunteer opportunity that fits: https://www.unionshelter.org/volunteer/

Common Heart

Do you love to serve by cooking meals? Help provide dinner for a Getting Ahead session as these hard-working neighbors start their journeys out of poverty!

This is a great chance to gather a group of friends to cook and serve a meal together for 25-30 people.

Email Sandy at EconomicEmpowerment@CommonHeart.org or call 704-218-9060 ext. 1016 for more details.

Common Heart also needs more volunteers to pack food for their food pantries. The biggest needs right now are Tuesdays & Fridays from 3-5 p.m. to pack food for our evening pantries. They’re also looking for more grocery rescue volunteers to pick up donated food from local grocery stores, especially on Sundays. They also need substitutes to fill in on an as-needed basis. There are many other volunteer opportunities, too.

Get all the details and sign up online: CommonHeart.org/volunteer Questions? Call Riane Maltais at 704-940-6508 or email Volunteer@CommonHeart.org

Davids Backpacks for the Homeless

Are you, your family, church group, or civic group looking for a place to volunteer? Davids Backpacks would love to have you! Volunteer opportunities at The Garden Project are every Saturday (weather permitting), between 9-12ish. Everyone’s welcome! 1095 Poplar Hill Church Rd., Polkton. Email davidsbackpacks1@gmail.com for more information.

Turning Point

Help create a memorable summer and beyond for shelter families by becoming a Turning Point volunteer! Join a volunteer orientation on either Tuesday, June 4th, from 10am-11:30am or Monday, June 17th, from 6-7:30pm in Monroe. You’ll learn about all the ways to serve abuse survivors. Exact location will be sent to you a few days in advance.  Sign up at the link or reach out to Mary with questions! moakley@turntoday.net  Volunteer Orientation Sign Up

Turning Point also needs some very special volunteers for their Sexual Assault Resource Center. These “Companions” respond to individuals in crisis by picking up “on-call” shifts.

Companions accompany a sexual assault victim through their crisis, via telephone or hospital visit. When a crisis call comes in, a companion speaks with the crisis caller, listens to them, and helps them think through their options. In a hospital call, a companion meets a sexual assault victim at the hospital to accompany them throughout their time there. This is an opportunity to support the community, your community members, and to serve someone in need of companionship.

Companions do not have to go into these crisis moments feeling ill-prepared, as Turning Point has created an online, self-paced training module that walks companions-in-training through a variety of situations that they may encounter. The training modules all together take about 20 hours to complete. Questions about this volunteer position can be directed to the SARC Victim Advocate, Madison Lindenmuth. mlindenmuth@turntoday.net

Next Step Clubhouse

Are you looking to make a meaningful impact on your community? Next Step Clubhouse is always looking for volunteers! See the link to find out how YOU can become involved! https://www.nextstepclubhouse.org/volunteer-opportunities

Waxhaw Parks and Recreation

Parks & Rec is seeking dedicated leader volunteers to support their S.M.I.L.E. (Sensory, Mindfulness, Inclusive, Learning, and Engagement) Activity Trailer during Town events. The trailer is meant to be a safe haven where individuals with sensory needs can actively participate in the town’s activities and programs, fostering an inclusive community for all residents.

While the trailer won’t be operational until mid-July, Parks & Rec is actively recruiting and training volunteers to staff it during events.

To learn more or sign up visit this link: https://tinyurl.com/bd2psxb6

Community Health Services of Union County

Do you have a young adult in your family who has time to volunteer over summer break? Great! There are a variety of opportunities and tasks that are essential to the operations and growth of Community Health Services of Union County:

• Registering Clients
• General Office Duties
• Processing Paperwork
• Scheduling Appointments and more

Are you interested? Please complete the Volunteer Application available at https://www.chsuc.org/for-volunteers.html and fax it to 704-296-0946 or email it to TBoyle@chsuc.org

Council on Aging in Union County

CoA has several volunteer opportunties available, including

See more here: https://coaunion.org/volunteer

Carolina Equine Rescue & Assistance

“My regular volunteers will be going on vacation soon so I need to be prepared. Chores at CRRA are a piece of cake. I have tried to make it very easy with charts posted and a volunteer schedule. And also very safe. Supplies are always available and everything is labeled. Morning chores are about 2 hours and evening are about 1.5 hours. After you get your routine down the time will be less. You must be 16, under 16 accompanied by a parent. Please consider giving some time to CERA. If you are interested please text Darlene at 7042193559. Located at 1123 W Sandy Ridge Rd. Monroe.”

See more volunteer opportunties at https://philslist.org/volunteer-opportunities/

Hello Friends,
There didn’t seem to be a Facebook group for Union County seniors, so I created one. Union County NC Senior Citizens, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1384531905418431

Are you concerned about your health? Union EMS will be holding a free drive-thru vital signs check on Tuesday, May 21^st from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM at Union EMS (1403 Dove St., Monroe). EMS will be checking blood pressures, heart rates, respiratory rates, and oxygen levels all without leaving the comfort of your car! Blood glucose can also be checked upon request. 

There have been some minor updates to the printable and searchable resource list, most importantly a change in Our Future in UNISON’s phone number.

The list can be found here: https://philslist.org/printable-list/ or it can be scanned with the new QR code:

As new information comes in pertaining to the non-profit community, I include it at the blog here: https://philslist.org/blog. Events are listed on our Facebook Page at this link.

Through Museums for All, those receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain free or reduced admission to more than 1,200 museums throughout the United States simply by presenting their SNAP EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefit Transfer) card.

About Museums for All – Museums for All

About Museums for All

See the Facebook page for more information

Are you a published Local Author with an item in UCL’s collection? Interested in serving on UCL’s Local Author Panel for NaNoWriMo 2023? Please complete the form https://ow.ly/mFG550PGQrM for consideration by/before Wednesday, November 1st.

The Local Author Panel event is set for Saturday, November 18 (10 a.m – 11 a.m.) at the Main Library in Monroe.

Moderated panel topics will include the writing & publishing processes and general Q&A from the audience. Questions? Contact ucpl.reference@unioncountync.gov