A brand new story trail from the National Literacy Trust and Hungry Little Minds in Birmingham is launching at Cannon Hill Park, in partnership with Birmingham Stories, West Smethwick Enterprise and Birmingham Libraries. The story trail, which is part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign, officially opens on Thursday 8 July at 10:00 for families of children aged 2-5.
The trail is based on a bespoke story about unicorns and monsters in the local park written by children’s author Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and illustrated by Aaron Cushley. It will lead families around the park as they follow the adventures of Uncle Josh, Mia, Kai and their dog Scruffy. This brand-new immersive experience will aid children’s language and literacy development as they fill out their booklet while following the story around the park.
All families, carers, guardians and early years settings are invited to the special launch of the story trail on Thursday 8 July at 10:00, where Hungry Little Minds organiser, Aman Dhanda, will start families off on the adventure around the park. All attendees will receive a free Hungry Little Minds goodie bag upon completion of the story trail!
Following the event, the story trails booklet will be available to pick up from the park’s Garden Team Rooms. All parents and carers with little ones aged 2-5 are encouraged to pick up a booklet, enjoy the story of the unicorns and monsters and help develop their children’s literacy and learning skills along the way.
The launch in Birmingham is one of 12 story trails launching across the country as part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign, funded by the Department for Education and delivered by the National Literacy Trust. The campaign provides families of children under five with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines whilst building their child’s speech and language skills at home.
Rebecca Lewis-Oakes, Children’s Author and writer of the Hungry Little Minds Story Trails, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with the National Literacy Trust and local partners in Birmingham on this project. It has been a pleasure to discover so many beautiful parks across the country and view them through the exuberant imagination of pre-schoolers.
“I hope this Hungry Little Minds story trail encourages families to explore and enjoy Cannon Hill Park, with a gentle underlying prompt toward those key Early Years learning concepts. I look forward to seeing the little one’s reactions as they make their way around the magical trail!”
Aman Dhanda, Family Support and Quality Practice Manager at West Smethwick Enterprise Family Centre, said: “I am so pleased with how this story trail has come together which will have such a positive impact on the children and families of Birmingham.
“The trail will take children on an adventure around the park and the children’s imagination will bring the story to life! Please join us on the launch event where all children will be given a free goodie bag and other special treats along the way. We look forward to seeing you all there!”
Melissa Gaskin, Children’s Services Manager for Ladywood Children’s Centre at St Thomas, said: “The story trail is a great asset to Birmingham and our services in Ladywood and across the city. It will encourage families to really engage in their child's early learning and language development. After a difficult year where there have been so many restrictions, it's great to see that families are able to access something new and exciting that will also have such a positive impact on their child's development.”
