Randleman library to kick off Storywalk in park with activities for kids, families

Liberty cuts the ribbon last June on its Storywalk

RANDLEMAN – Children and families in Randleman will be able to take a stroll with a book as a new Storywalk in Stout Street Park kicks off with a “Springtime in the Park Celebration” on Saturday, April 1.

Storywalks are panels containing consecutive pages of a children’s book spaced along an outdoor path. The panels also include information about early literacy and resources available at the library and in the community.

Randleman’s is one of three developed by the Randolph County Public Libraries with funds from a federal Library Services and Technology Act grant. The other two are going up at Creekside Park in Archdale and Clay Presnell Memorial Park in Seagrove

Randleman’s Storywalk celebration will take place from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. following the Randleman Parks and Recreation Easter Egg hunt at 10 a.m. for children through age 12. The event will include a Storywalk Challenge with a prize at the end; face painting and balloon animals; a “Stones & Bones” fossil display with an opportunity to dig for fossils to take home; an egg and spoon race; and a rubber chicken toss.

 After the kickoff, books in the Storywalk —all of which are presented in bilingual format — will be changed out monthly.

A “Storywalk Festival” kickoff in Seagrove, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 15, will feature animals from around the world with Wild Tails of NC, as well as challenges and activities such as Giant Jenga, Giant Bubbles, and face painting for a chance to win a prize. The Kona Ice Truck also will be present.

Franklinville/Seagrove library
manager Charity Neave Johnson
at a Storywalk panel in Riverside Park

Archdale’s “Storywalk Kickoff,” 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 29, will feature a live animal show at 10:30 a.m. with Wild Tails NC. Kids can complete an activity quiz and qualify for a grand prize drawing for a scooter and a helmet.

The Storywalk project is a partnership among the library, the Randolph Partnership for Children, and the municipalities of Archdale, Randleman and Seagrove. The new Storywalks join two installed last year in Franklinville’s Riverside Park and Liberty’s Paul Henry Smith Park.

The project is made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.