Children and families can now get their reading in while also getting their exercise.
Visalia’s first Storybook Walk will officially open with a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 8 at Stonebrook Park, 1200 W. Hemlock Ave.
Major Brett Taylor will be on hand to lead everyone around the path to read the story. The path features 15 kiosks, each with an enlarged page of a book so families can enjoy reading an entire story while walking through the park.
The story will be changed at the beginning of each month, so families can visit monthly for some outdoor exercise and enjoyment of a new reading adventure.
The project was proposed by Read for Life board member Ann Brodersen after she took her 2-year-old grandson to a storybook walk on the Rucker Army Base in Alabama.
“He had been there before, so he ran right to it,” Brodersen said.
Last summer, her grandson and family had moved to Colorado Springs, and they found another storybook walk at the library there.
Brodersen contacted the Visalia Parks and Recreation Department, which was excited about the idea, chose the location and installed the kiosks purchased by Read for Life.
“We are thrilled to bring Visalia’s first Storybook Walk to life at Stonebrook Park,” Parks and Recreation Director Jason Glick said. “This project blends literacy, outdoor recreation and community connection, all priorities for our department. We hope families of all ages will make this walk a regular part of their visits to the park and enjoy discovering a new story each month.”
The walk also supports Read for Life goals.
“We appreciate the support of the Visalia Recreation Department and donations from those who support our goal of reading to young children,” Brodersen said. “We hope many families will enjoy the outdoor activity and reading together as a family.”
While Brodersen was installing the book pages, she got several comments from people checking out the Storybook Walk.
One adult told Brodersen that she enjoyed reading the story herself and can’t wait for the next one to be put up in June.
Read for Life is a non-profit organization that works to provide books to young children who might not have access and to break the cycle of illiteracy through early intervention and community awareness. They collect gently used books to distribute and will have information at the ribbon cutting about their book boxes where people can drop off books for ages 0-7.
Storybook Walk Ribbon Cutting
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Storybook Walk has ribbon cutting this Friday
Reporting by Donna Orozco, Special to Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
