Double the fun

Crook County Library is proposing a project that would transform Sundance’s nature trails into innovative learning opportunities for their youngest visitors. StoryWalks®, said Library Director Jill Mackey last week, teach kids to read in a fun and active way.

Mackey and Kim Heaster attended last week’s meeting of the Sundance City Council to share information about StoryWalks.

“StoryWalks are opportunities for children and families to enjoy two great things – reading and outdoor spaces – at the same time,” said Heaster in a fact sheet provided to the council.

“A StoryWalk is literally taking apart a picture book, placing each laminated page in a weather-protected frame and placing these frames in an outdoor space so that children and families can enjoy books in an outdoor setting.”

The frames would be mounted on posts, which are then placed along a path or sidewalk. Families walk along the path and are directed to the next page in the story as they go.

StoryWalks, according to the fact sheet, promote active reading by asking questions, building vocabulary and connecting to the child’s world. The project was introduced by Anne Ferguson of Vermont in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library and is now present in all 50 states and 12 countries.

Mackey informed the council that Crook County Library would like to install a permanent StoryWalk along the nature trail that runs through Clarenbach Park towards the old elementary school. Research has confirmed that there are a couple of available grants that could be used to fund the project, she said.

Given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mackey said, a StoryWalk could provide more outdoor opportunities for families. It could also prove attractive to young families looking to move to the area, she added.

The council will discuss the proposal in more depth at next mont