by Chrysa Smith

Last year, I was invited to do a 'story walk' out in Central Pennsylvania. The request came from a library which thought my garden-themed book, The Upside-Down Gardener, would be a great idea for kids to be out in nicer weather, walking around their community--all while reading. Yes, unbeknownst to them, they were learning---and having fun doing it. There were seed balls being made, garden-themed handouts from the library, and a good day was had by all.

Now, this March, at a park much closer to home, I've been invited on another story walk. This time, it will be at a community park in the Greater Philadelphia Area.

So, what exactly is a story walk? It's a step-by-step way of reading a story. At various locations throughout a designated space, yard signs are installed which contain laminated pages from a book. At each yard sign is another page or spread, and the reader keeps on going until they've completed their walk (or run) through all the yard signs, thus completing a book.

The idea began with the Vermont Department of Health as an initiative to merge the outdoors with literacy. And ever since, they've appeared all over. While the word Storywalk is a registered trademark, the concept has travelled, being called trail challenges and other creative titles.

How to do one? There are various sites, but basically, you need lawn signs that have a backing. Using your color printer, pages from the book or at a quick print location, blow up the pages to fit the sign dimensions. Laminate them if there's no protective laminate covering, then mount them on the board. Once you get some practice, the story walk can be changed in and out with books you are reading with students, topic specific, holiday themes and more.

For more information, drop me a line @ [email protected].

Happy Trails!