Get ready! Get Set! Let’s Story Stroll with the Houston Public Library!

What in the world is a Story Stroll? Well, imagine that you and your children are out walking from the Houston Nature Center down to our new Natural Playground — and all along the way, you keep coming across pages from a children’s picture book, each page laminated and mounted in a metal frame in the ground. Before you know it, you’re reading a story as you stroll!

The concept of a Story Stroll was developed in 2007 by Anne Ferguson in Montpelier, Vermont, whose goal was “to combine three critical elements for overall family health: early literacy learning, family engagement outdoors, and physical activity.” According to Houston Public Library Director, Liz Gibson-Gasset, a Story Stroll is a fun and pandemic appropriate addition to the library’s summer activities this year. “We couldn’t be more excited about this wonderful opportunity to support literacy and encourage outdoor activity that lends itself to social distancing.”

On our first Story Stroll this summer beginning the week of July 6th, we’ll be reading “Up, Down, and Around” by Katherine Ayres. Weather permitting, our Story Stroll will stay up along the sidewalk at the Nature Center for two weeks, so families can continue to enjoy the fun on their own convenience. Similar Story Strolls with different book titles will take place around the city of Houston this summer. Stay tuned to our website at www.houston.lib.mn.us, our Facebook page (Houston MN Public Library), and our local newspaper, the Houston Banner, for more information. For the record, our 2020 Summer
Reading Program was made possible due to funding from the Friends of the Library, Houston Area Community Foundation, Sub Zero Pizza & Ice Cream, and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Questions about this or any other library project? Give us a call at 896-READ!