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Storytime comes alive at second Langley park

Families can now take a walk and read a book in Muckle Creek Trail
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StoryWalks have been installed at Muckle Creek Trail and Lynn Fripps Elementary school, with a third coming to Parkside Centennial Elementary in Aldergrove. (Special to Langley Advance Times)

Pages of a children’s book were successfully installed in Langley last week.

Along the Muckle Creek Trail, people of all ages can now follow the tale of a children’s storybook while walking in nature. Pages are taken apart, laminated, and attached to yard signs along a path outdoors, so children and adults can read as they walk, said Alicia Rempel, chair of the Langley Children’s Committee and executive director of the Langley School District Foundation.

“Each sign is its own storybook page, and we added in physical literacy prompts … to get kids active and moving as they walk to the next page,” Rempel explained.

About 30 per cent of children in Langley enter Kindergarten with a vulnerability in areas of cognitive, language, social skills, or physical development, she said, so they pick stories that have meaningful messages.

This represents approximately 500 children a year who start school at a disadvantage, Rempel said.

The books chosen for Langley StoryWalk support social and emotional development, so parents reading to their children will help build their literacy and language skills while being active.

“Langley is a really active community and we’ve got young families here, and we just that [it’s] a great way … to get kids out,” Rempel explains. “Research is showing that kids need more physical activity, it aids mental health.”

This latest StoryWalk was set up along the Muckle Creek Trail, next to Simonds Elementary in Langley City. The first was installed last year at Lynn Fripps Elementary. And the next one is earmarked for Parkside Centennial Elementary in Aldergrove.

“We’ll have these three locations that families can walk to, drive to, and read stories with their kids,” Rempel said. “It isn’t just for kids, but even seniors on their walks were enjoying reading these children’s books.”

The Muckle Creek Trail StoryWalk was done in collaboration with the City of Langley, Langley School District, Langley Literacy Network, and Langley Children Committee with the shared goal of combining outdoor activity with a love for literacy, said Karlo Tamondong, recreation supervisor with the City of Langley.

“We wanted to give more free, affordable options for families, whereas families can enjoy trails [and] at the same time be involved in literacy,” Tamondong elaborated.

Rempel said they started offering portable StoryWalks during the pandemic lockdowns, and are still available for booking for a variety of children’s stories including popular titles like Put Me in a Book! by Robert Munsch and The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson.

“We created these lawn sign kits that could be booked by local schools or organizations or event businesses, and these stories are basically deconstructed children’s books,” Rempel said.

The StoryWalk program was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson in Monteplier, Vermont when she worked for the Vermont department of public health and with support from the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Through their collaboration, a StoryWalk was installed in 50 U.S. states and 13 countries.

“Invite your families in the community to enjoy our trail and, at the same time, enjoy the stories along it as well,” Tamondong said.

READ MORE: Walk-through stories at Lynn Fripps school in Langley

and

IN OTHER NEWS: TWU alumnus Dr. Simon Moore’s new children’s books teach safety and developmental milestones

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StoryWalks have been installed at Muckle Creek Trail and Lynn Fripps Elementary school, with a third coming to Parkside Centennial Elementary in Aldergrove. (Special to Langley Advance Times)


Kyler Emerson

About the Author: Kyler Emerson

I'm excited to start my journalism career in Langley and meet our community.
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