A new ‘Storybook Trail’ has been launched in Wallaceburg at Crothers Park.
Officials with Super Kids CK say Thursday’s launch was a great success.
“See how the kids run from post to post? Enjoy an evening with ‘Hooray For Books!’ by Brian Won at Crothers Park in Wallaceburg. Follow Chatham-Kent Public Library for story-change updates, and Chatham-Kent Trails and Walk CK for other opportunities to walk in our community,” Super Kids CK officials said on social media.
Super Kids CK partnered with the Chatham-Kent Public Library and Chatham-Kent Trails to bring the trail to Wallaceburg.
This initiative is part of the current phase of the Healthy Kids Community Challenge, Power Off and Play!
If you enjoy taking a stroll, reading a story and being outside, then this trail is for you.
“Storybook Trails offer a great way for families to enjoy a fun and interactive reading experience together,” stated Karen Kennedy, Early Years Educator, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, Municipality of Chatham-Kent, in a press release.
“While families explore the storybook trail, they can build language and literacy skills by asking children to make predictions about what might happen next and engage in back and forth conversations on the way to the next post. I am thrilled that our community is offering another exciting way for children to see and explore print in their environment.”
Chatham-Kent has 59 trails that residents can enjoy.
Storybooks have already been installed at Kingston Park in Chatham and on Flook Trail in Blenheim.
Children can venture through with ‘Hooray for Books!’ by Brian Won and ‘Silly Sally’ by Audrey Wood.
Every four months the library will rotate the story used for each trail.
The first year will feature three great read-aloud stories for families to enjoy, while powering off their devices.
The focus of Power Off and Play! is to help children and families build a balanced day that is not filled with screen time.
Research shows that too much recreational and sedentary screen time for children can negatively affect their early development, physical and psychosocial health.
It can also interfere with important healthy behaviours, like playing and enjoying the outdoors.
More details:
– Super Kids CK is among 45 communities that were selected to take part in the Healthy Kids Community Challenge.
– The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and the Canadian Paediatric Society recommend the following screen time limits:
– Under 2 years of age – no screen time
– 2-4 years – less than 1 hour per day
– 5-17 years – no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time per day
A ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Randy Hope was held on Thursday. The event included healthy snacks, prizes, an official reading and walk of the Storybook trail.
Learn more at www.superkidsck.com.
