Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) and the American Dental Association are hosting “Give Kids a Smile Day” on Wednesday, June 20, when dentists across the city will be providing free dental care to Philadelphia children. PCCY has recruited two dozen dental sites that have created space for hundreds of children to receive essential oral health care services. The participating dental clinics in West Philly are Kids Smiles (two locations), Gentle Dental, and University Square Dental.

Participating dentists will provide free screenings, cleanings and sealants and some will also fill cavities.  Appointments are required.

To make an appointment for your child at the office closest to you, call PCCY at 215.563.5848 extension 32 (please do not call the dental offices directly). You will need to provide the following information: your name, your child’s name and age, a phone number where you can be reached between 9 and 5, and your zip code.

The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral on the corner of 38th and Chestnut Streets is offering free lunches for children up to 18 years of age (21 years if disabled) in its air-conditioned main church this summer. Lunch will be served from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays from Monday, June 18 to Thursday, August 9.

The lunches will offer children 1/3 of their nutritional requirements for the day, according to the Cathedral. There will also be simple art activities and games for kids.

The Cathedral is also looking for volunteers to assist with this program. You can work one day a week, one week, or come for several days. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Stacey Middleton at karolmel_2000@yahoo.com or Meredith Wiggins at dancingturnips@yahoo.com or 626-487-5929.

Contact the Cathedral at 215-386-0234 with any questions.

A Girl Scouts information and registration meeting will be held tonight from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the St. Mary’s Nursery School, 3916 Locust Walk (near 40th and Locust on the Penn campus).

Girls entering 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades are eligible. If you can’t make tonight’s meeting but want more info, write:

Janine Van Patten (2nd and 3rd graders) – janinevanp919@yahoo.com

Amy Kwasnicki (3rd and 4th graders) – kwaszilla@gmail.com

This Friday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a “Super Swap” of baby, toddler, children’s and maternity clothing, toys, books and gear at the Greenfield Intercultural Center (3708 Chestnut Street), and all parents are welcome to bring clean, gently used items. Boys, gender neutral and older kids’ clothing are especially appreciated.

Make a minimum $5 donation at the entrance to benefit the New Parents @ Penn Group and take what you need/want.

You do not need to bring items to swap in order to participate. All remaining items will be donated to a local women’s charity.

You can drop off items two days before the swap and no later than 10 a.m. on the day of the swap.

To help set up, clean-up or if you have questions contact: Sarvelia Peralta-Duran at sarvelia.peralta@gmail.com. To be added to the Swap distribution list please request to join the Super Swap Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SuperSwap/

This Super Swap is an initiative in collaboration with the Penn Women’s Center, Greenfield Intercultural Center and the Penn Family Resource Center.
 

Here’s an assortment of events taking place in the neighborhood this weekend (May 3-6). For more events, visit our “Happenings” section.

• Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 4pm – “MAYA 2012: Lords of Time” Exhibition Opening Celebration, Penn Museum (3260 South Street)

This is one of the biggest and most anticipated exhibitions of the year. The opening celebration features Maya music and dance, arts and crafts and cultural traditions from Mexico and Central America. All celebration activities are open to the public with MAYA 2012 tickets or with general admission to the Penn Museum. Click here for more information on opening weekend programs.

•  Sunday, noon – 4pm – Dock Street BIG Bottle Release Party, Dock Street Brewery (50th & Baltimore)

Dock Street Brewery celebrates the release of an array of limited, naturally-carbonated beers in 750ml Champagne format. Only 12 cases will be released and available for sale on Sunday. Apart from the beer, there will be live music by Shakey Lyman (classic old school blues) and Dock Street will be preparing slices of pizza all afternoon. For more information, visit this page.

• Friday & Saturday, 10am – 3pm – Philadelphia Children’s Festival, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (3680 Walnut Street)

The 28th annual Philadelphia International Children’s Festival features family-friendly music, theatre and dance performances, as well as a host of fun and interactive activities in the Fun Zone on the Outdoor Plaza including crafts, face painting, jugglers and more. Individual tickets are $10 and include access to the Fun Zone. For more information on the shows and to buy tickets, click here.

• Thursday, Friday & Saturday – 8pm – The Tempest; Saturday – 1pm – Kid Curio and The Improv Avengers, Curio Theatre (4740 Baltimore Ave)

Curio Theatre presents shows for adults and children alike this weekend. The second week of Shakespeare’s The Tempest begins tonight at 8 p.m. and on Saturday bring your little ones to Kid Curio, an interactive show where kids don’t just come and watch the show, but are part of the action. Tickets for both shows are available here.

May Fair is next Saturday, May 12, and organizers are looking for volunteers to assist with the Children’s Games component of the fair, which is a lot of fun.

At least 25 volunteers are needed. The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the day will be split into two-hour intervals for each volunteer. The children’s activities include a bounce tent, an obstacle course and games.

For more information and to sign up, contact Mark Young of Spruce Hill Community Association at: yark.moung@gmail.com

For more information about the fair, go to Spruce Hill Community Association’s website.