The Estevan Public Library is encouraging families to read together while enjoying the outdoors by introducing a story walk at the Dennis Moore Centennial Park.
As part of the story walk, laminated pages are set up throughout the park. People start at the beginning, and once they’re finished a page, they move on to the next until they’re finished.
Currently on display is How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, which was placed at the park on June 7 and will remain until June 16. Up next will be Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox, which will be at the park from June 17 to 27.
“Sometimes I Feel like a Fox was chosen to help celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day, which is June 21, as well as national Indigenous History Month, which is in June,” said Jessica Kelly, the program co-ordinator at the EPL.
With the kits the library received, the two stories came together, and that’s why the tales were chosen.
It doesn’t take long for a family to finish the story walk, and the amount of time will be dependent on how many questions children have regarding each story.
At the end of How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, there is a free apple pie recipe.
The other story reflects how people can feel like different animals.
“The artwork on the pages for both stories is beautiful as well,” Kelly said.
The Southeast Regional Library was able to provide story walks, and the library believes the story walks are a great way for families to get out and read while getting some physical activity.
“We had lots of people inquiring about it, and I’ve seen lots of people at that park, so hopefully they’ve been able to read it,” said Kelly.
The library has done story walks before, and they can happen with social distancing in mind.
“It’s close enough that younger children won’t get too bored as they walk and read, but far enough that families should be able to keep a good six feet apart to read it,” said Kelly.
Other communities that she has seen within the Southeast Regional Library have had good success with story walks.
“I know that some bigger communities … have a story walk going up provided by their library as well.”
The library hopes to have other story walks in place for the summer and the early fall.
Kelly did have to take down the story on Thursday night due to the powerful thunderstorm that rolled through the area, but the pages are laminated to withstand rain, and it doesn’t take long to put them back in place, which she did on Friday.
