Be an Active Family with StoryWalk®

Physical activity is important for children and adults of all ages. Being active as a family can benefit everyone. Add StoryWalk® to your family summer activity list this year. StoryWalk® was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT. Her idea was to laminate the pages from a children’s story book and place them on stakes along a walking path for children and adults to read together. As you stroll down the path reading, you and your family can get multiple benefits from this activity.

Reading out loud. Whether you read to your child, your child reads to you, or you take turns, it expands a child’s interest in books. It also increases vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and attention span. Communication and listening skills are also developed when discussing pictures in the book, what is going on in the story, and predicting what might happen next.

Relationship building. Besides being educational, reading books together can strengthen the bond between the child and parent, grandparent, or caregiver. Spending frequent, brief amounts of time involved in child-preferred activities is one of the most powerful things parents can do to connect with their children.

Spending time outdoors in nature. Studies have shown cognitive function and mood improvement occurs when children and adults spend time in nature. Time in nature increases creativity and imagination, stimulates to your 5 senses, gets you up and moving, helps you think better, improves your attention span, and reduces stress and fatigue.

Built in movement. Adults need 30 minutes of physical activity each day while children need 60 minutes. Beyond the number of minutes of physical activity needed, we all need more movement throughout our day. One of Anne Ferguson’s goals was to create an activity where parents had to be as active as the children and not sit on the sidelines. Children are more likely to be physically active if their parents are.

Storyline of the Book. The last benefit is expanding on the storyline for learning, experiences, and application. Some of the StoryWalk® books in our Extension Office promote financial literacy, helping children learn about the many sides of money management.

Families have busy schedules, StoryWalk® ‘s are accessible when you are ready and take as much or as little time as you want. K-State Research and Extension is partnering with libraries, schools, and recreation centers to bring StoryWalk to your community this summer. For dates and locations, visit southwind.ksu.edu.

1 minute Radio Spot

Be an active family this summer. Being active as a family can benefit everyone. Physical activity is important for children and adults of all ages. I’m Joy Miller, Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent with K-State Research and Extension Southwind District. Adults need two and a half hours a week of physical activity and children need sixty minutes a day. K-State is partnering with agencies to bring Storywalk to your community. StoryWalk® is a program for families to read and be active together. Pages from children’s story books are laminated, attached to a board, and placed along a path children and adults can walk. As you stroll down the path reading, families also build reading skills and p strengthen family relationships. Add StoryWalk to your summer activity list. For storywalk locations, story books, or parent discussion guides, contact me at 620-223-3720 or visit our website at www.southwind.ksu.edu.

Humboldt Union Newspaper

Be an active family this year. Physical activity is important for children and adults of all ages. Adults need two and a half hours a week of physical activity and children need 60 minutes a day. K-State Research and Extension Southwind District and Humboldt Library are partnering to bring StoryWalk to Humboldt this summer. StoryWalk® is a program for families to read and be active together. Pages from children’s story books are laminated, attached to a board, and placed along a path children and adults can walk. In Humboldt, many of the story boards will be located in business windows around the downtown square. The first page of StoryWalk® will begin at the Humboldt library, then to the Humboldt Union, page 3 will begin on the east side of the square and flow clockwise around the square. Add StoryWalk® to your family summer activity list this year. StoryWalk® will begin Wednesday, June 12^th and stories will change every two weeks. Discussion guides are available at the Humboldt Library or at southwind.ksu.edu.