Learning happens everywhere a child goes, but parents, grandparents and caregivers may not always know how to support that learning.
That won’t be the case on Wednesday July 20, 2011 1:00 pm at the Portage Parks Woodland Park on Willowcreek in Portage. When Mom and Dad, Aunt Amy and Grandpa take their favorite young child to Woodland Park now, they’ll be able to play even more fun games together that will help the child come to school ready to succeed.
That’s because the United Way Northwest Indiana United Way Success By 6 initiative created an outdoor interactive early learning trail leading to Woodland Park to help parents, grandparents and caregivers turn excursions into fun learning moments.
The Born Learning Trail is a series of learning activities that any adult can play with young children at Woodland Park. The trail is being sponsored and built as the result of a new partnership between Portage Parks Department and United Way Success By 6. This particular trail has been adopted by the Porter County Community Foundation.
Based on the latest early childhood research and approval by national early learning experts through United Way Worldwide, the Born Learning Trail is designed to help adults interact with children to boost language and literacy development and to help caregivers understand how to best support early learning in outdoor moments.
There are 10 signs on the Born Learning Trail, each including individual activities. For example, the Watch! Stop! Play! trail marker encourages the caregiver to follow the child’s lead, building the child’s curiosity and confidence while reinforcing the learning already under way.
The Born Learning Trail at Woodland Park Grand Opening Day will be Wednesday July 20, 2011. Ribbon cutting by Portage Parks Department and Woodland Park staff will be at 1:00 PM and there will be additional games and free food for all children 6 and under and their families.