Inspired by the StoryWalk® movement, which has taken off in the United States over the past few years, Watsonia Library in conjunction with Mill Park and Diamond Valley Libraries has participated in a pilot program to organise a Story Trail for YPRL.
The international movement combines literacy, exercise, nature, and family bonding, and is an interesting concept that we think offers a supplementary event to YPRL’s core early literacy programs. It has also provided a connection with the community during lockdown.
Story Trail involves taking pages from a library book and installing them along a chosen path. As you walk along the path, you’ll be directed to the next page in the story. Pages are accompanied by activities or information.
Unfortunately, Watsonia Library is not surrounded by parklands — car parks, but not parklands — so how did we install a trail? After liaising with the Watsonia Traders Association , it was agreed that a Story Trail could be displayed in local shop windows. So, our Story Trail was born, along Greensborough, Lambourn and Watsonia Roads, with a Christmas flavour to boot.
We would love you to stroll the trail, stop at each page, look at each picture, read the story, and ask your child what they see. Get the whole family involved by talking about the illustrations and discussing the story. If your child is starting to read, why not ask them to read the Story Trail to you?
In future, Story Trails will expand to junior, teen and adult fiction and non-fiction stories. Currently, Watsonia is consulting with Metro Trains to plan a Story Trail around the Watsonia Station. If the pilot program is a success, then it will also be rolled out to our other branches, too.
Watsonia Story Trail
Below is the map of our Watsonia Story Trail - this will open in Google Maps, if you'd like to enlarge it and plan out your walk.
List of Businesses on the trail:
A. Da Vinci Pizza and Pasta Gallery, 361 Greensborough Road, Watsonia
B. Global Embroidery, 373A Greensborough Road, Watsonia
C. Hair 4 Kids, 2F Lambourn Road, Watsonia
PC Hut, 2C Lambourn Road, Watsonia
Zampera, 2B Lambourn Road, Watsonia
D. Bizz Buzz, 27 Watsonia Road, Watsonia
E. Manhattan Skin and Laser Clinic, 25 Watsonia Road
F. Kebab Nation, 41 Watsonia Road, Watsonia
G. Watsonia Bake House, 43 Watsonia Road, Watsonia
H. Pharmacy 4 Less, 45–49 Watsonia Road, Watsonia
I. Charcoal Chicken, 65 Watsonia Road, Watsonia
J. Watsonia Optical, 67 Watsonia Road, Watsonia
K. Noodle Station, 73 Watsonia Road, Watsonia