Four or five years ago, the Children’s Department of the Wallingford Public Library began hosting what it calls Story Walks. “The Story Walk is a way for children to enjoy reading and sharing a book by walking along a designated path,” explained Ms. Alyssa Johnson, a Children’s Librarian at the Wallingford Public Library. The walk is a scavenger hunt of sorts. Pages from that day’s book are placed along a predetermined path. Once the children discover them, the the pages of the story are read aloud. The walk is led by an educator or Wallingford Public Library librarian, but can also be self-directed.
The original concept for Story Walks came from a Ms. Anne Ferguson from Montpelier, Vermont. Story Walks began in Wallingford, however, because of Mrs. Helen Stowe, a retired kindergarten and nursery school teacher and the wife of retired Choate science teacher Mr. Larry Stowe. Story Walks roll two of Mrs. Stowe’s passions into one. According to her colleagues, Mrs. Stowe loves both working with children and being in nature. Mrs. Stowe and Kohler Environmental Center (KEC) adviser Ms. Lena Nicolai reached out to the Wallingford Public Library. Because of her connection to Choate, Mrs. Stowe was able to coordinate with the School and hold the walks on the grounds of the KEC.
Story Walks usually begin with the families meeting in the parking lot of the KEC. “There is often something for the children to look at and discuss while they wait for everyone to arrive,” explained Ms. Sunnie Scarpa, Head of Children’s Services at the Wallingford Public Library. “For example, if the book for the day is about composting, they might have some worms to look at and learn about.”
After everyone arrives, the book of the day is introduced, and the children, typically between three and five years old, are taught how to look for the book pages along the path. “I used different Edna Miller Mousekin books for each walk,” said Mrs. Stowe. “The stories combine adventures of a small white-footed mouse with a lot of natural history. They were perfect stories for this activity.”
When they’re gathered in a group, Stowe will often teach them a song or rhyme that goes with the theme of the book. “As they’re walking through the woods, she’ll teach them about the flora and fauna they’re seeing,” said Ms. Sunnie Scarpa. “It’s amazing to hear such small children pick up on the advanced vocabulary words she teaches them, such as ‘metamorphosis’ or ‘photosynthesis.’”
Book pages are tied to tree branches along the path, and each one is read aloud to the children once it is discovered. At the end of the walk, the group finishes by the KEC and often enjoys some of Mrs. Stowe’s homemade cookies.
This is not the first time the Wallingford Public Library has coordinated with Choate to host an activity for the town’s children. Last year, the School and the Library worked together to design the Kinderwoods program. Kindergarteners from Moses Y. Beach Elementary School traveled to the KEC once a month to observe and record seasonal changes. They interacted with leaves and learned about the life cycles of different organisms. They had the chance to walk on the KEC’s streamside trail and share nature-themed stories. Like Story Walks, Kinderwoods also acted as a branch between the Wallingford community and Choate. Both programs provide children with a fun, educational, nature-themed activity.
Registration for these events fills up far in advance, and another Story Walk is scheduled for Thursday, October 11. “My hope is that children and parents will learn to love the woods,” said Mrs. Stowe. “These story walks are providing them with the opportunity to get into the woods with a group and to learn something about the world of ‘Mother Nature.’”
