GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Reading is a walk in the park for kids in Grants Pass. The city’s parks and recreation department has introduced two story walks, one at Redwood Park and the other at Reinhart Volunteer Park.
A story walk is a project that encourages both movement and literacy. Pages of a book are displayed as you follow along a walking path. It allows kids and families to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, while getting in some reading and light exercise.
The stories displayed on panels are in both Spanish and English, allowing for a more accessible experience. At Reinhart, the story is about a young girl’s passion for saving the bees. By the time readers reach the end of the story walk, they’re greeted by the park’s beautiful pollinator garden. Julia Wright, the recreation programs director for Grants Pass Parks and Recreation, says its a great method of education for young students. She says the goal is to have teachers bring their students on the story walk, or for homeschooled children to partake in an educational activity outdoors.
“We have a lot of alternative schools and home schools that utilize this park on a regular basis. So, they get to take advantage of something that’s not in a traditional school setting and enjoy our park,” Wright said.
Wright also stresses the importance of making the story walks bilingual. She says this was an intentional decision to ensure all kids to feel included and welcome to enjoy the parks in Grants Pass. If the program is successful, the parks department plans to make this an annual project with new stories. Both story walks are open to the community during normal park hours, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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