Upcoming StoryWalk and Other Strolling Picture Book Events
Family Fun on a StoryWalk
No arm-twisting is necessary to get our kids out the door to the park or to pick up a book (and coincidentally, we’ve had a peaceful, satisfying summer!) So here’s what I find so cool about the StoryWalk program, which unites these classic indoor-outdoor summer activities: it turns us on to new (to us) authors and takes us to parks not normally on our radar.
Colorful pages are mounted along a path. Kids are free to read along (or be read to) at their own pace. Because I knew our children would want plenty of time to romp around the park, we packed a picnic dinner and made an evening of it.
Make the Most of a Family StoryWalk
- Bring the whole family. While StoryWalks were created as an early literacy opportunity for beginner readers, the combination of a nature walk and story time make it a great family time activity with kids of various ages.
- Bring your pet. This is one of those family outings that is perfect to combine with dogwalking.
- Dress for a day outdoors. Bring your water bottles and plan for sun and/or bugs as necessary. Everyone will have more fun if they are prepared to be outdoors for awhile.
- Take your time. Especially with little kids, StoryWalks can help parents slow down and ask questions. After reading a page, ask your kids what they think will happen at the next station. Talk about the story between stations, ask open-ended questions or let your child lead the discussion.
- Combine the walk with other nearby fun. Since these opportunities often are placed in parks or other public areas, your family can make the trip a fun day. Pack a picnic, bring a net and go pond dipping or binoculars for birdwatching, play on the playground or just explore the parkland together.
- Bring journals, pencils, watercolors, etc. Whether you like to write stories, nature journal or draw, this is the perfect physical activity to combine with journaling.
- Get kids excited about the story (and reading).
- With little kids, talk about how a physical book is different and the same from a StoryWalk.
- Spend a little extra time at the first stop with the book cover. Talk about the name of the book and the cover art and guess what the story will be about.
- Make observations and guesses or ask questions about the text and images at some stops …
- … but keep the journey fun, more than academic.
- If there is a guest book at the end of the StoryWalk, sign it. If you enjoyed the experience and the book, let the creator’s know. It is hard for organizations to know how many people explore their StoryWalk, so even a small amount of feedback can make the difference.
More Family Fun Like This.
- 65 Fun & Healthy Outdoor Activity Ideas for Families
- Kid-Friendly Hikes: 10 Popular Walking Routes That Are One Mile Or Less
- Twin Cities Summer Reading Programs
- Top Kids Storytimes in the Twin Cities
- Little Free Library: Family Fun in Miniature
- STEM Fun: 6 Places for Hands-On Educational Activity with Kids in the Twin Cities
Learn more about StoryWalk history from the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Vermont, where it was first developed by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT.
About the Author: Anne Kingston is a co-founder of Family Fun Twin Cities.
I have thought about trying this with my 2yo. How long is a StoryWalk?
Hey, Tim. While each Story Trail is unique, most are less than a mile and located on a paved, stroller-friendly path. I highly recommend giving it a try. Choose a location with a playground and you can’t go wrong.