By Max Bowder: Local Journalism Initiative reporter
April 5th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Story walks have been set up in several Burlington parks over the last few months with the expectation of giving children an enthusiasm for reading as well as allowing them to enjoy the outdoors.
Different stories in different parks; a program that will be continued into the fall.
The Story Walk was created by the Burlington Public library along with friends of the institution and the City Parks Recreation and Culture department, to create a new learning experience that allows learning to become more interactive and hands-on giving kids a more creative way to learn while also encouraging physical activity as well as literacy while children can enjoy being outside.
A Story Walk creates this fun by having a children’s story divided into a number of pieces and post each piece of the story down a walk way so that children can enjoy the outdoors while also searching for the next piece of writing in their story.
When children have a story in pieces, it encourages them to find the other pieces of the story which promotes literacy in the children while also giving them entertainment in searching out the story as a scavenger hunt while also letting children get out in nature and get exercise.
Story Walks are expected to become an effective teaching tool as it helps children in so many areas of their lives. One does not require a reservation – they can be visited any time of day.
The Walks are expected to develop children’s interests in reading stories and give them an initiative for the outdoors with it being an activity to be done with a teacher in a class or with parents on a walk.
This is the story of a giraffe and a bird that comes to life
Walks from one story sign to another are like turning pages in a book. Not quite a chapter book yet.
The Burlington public library will continue to put up more Story Walks in parks including:
• Centennial Bikeway, Longmoor Drive (Nelson Park area)
• Francis road bike trail, Francis Rd
• Central Park, 2299 New St
• Tansley woods trail, 1996 Itabashi way
• Sherwood forest park, 5270 Fairview St
Story walk locations coming soon include Lowville Park and Norton community park near the duck pond.
The stories in these parks will include:
• The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do – by Ashley Spires,
• Families love Each Other – by Marcus Logan,
• Windows – by Julia Denos,
• Giraffe and Bird – by Rebecca Bender,
• Red house, Tree house, Little Baby Brown Mouse – by Jan Godwin,
• Water Only Please, by Camilla Judge-Aviss,
The stories are intended for children starting at age 3 – there is something in the story and the pictures for every elementary school student.
Max Bowder is a second year journalism student at Sheridan College. He is part of a team with the Gazette on the Local Journalism Initiative funded by the federal government. Before enrolling at Sheridan Max volunteered in a community in Venezuela where he worked with young people. He is a Burlington resident who helps out on the family farm in Milton.
