By PAIGE CARR

Staff writer

Marion County parents, along with their children, will have the opportunity to experience next week the first StoryWalk event held for the county.

Marion County K-State Research and Extension office, in collaboration with Parents as Teachers, Families and Communities Together, and early intervention services are sponsoring the event.

Extension agent Tristen Cope was inspired to bring the nationwide idea to Marion County through her love of literacy and background in early childhood education.

“Anytime you can get family exercising and doing literacy outdoors it’s a good thing,” she said.

StoryWalk will begin Monday at Peabody city park. If raining, it will be held in the elementary school gym. It will be available Tuesday in Marion at Central Park. The city building basement if raining. On Thursday it will be held at Hillsboro city park, or in the library if raining. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday’s StoryWalks are from 5 to 7 p.m.

Friday’s StoryWalk will be available to birth through five year olds and their families at the Goessel Elementary School’s family engagement event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Friday at Centre Elementary School for their PTO family fun night from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Books featured are “Caps for Sale” and “Going on a Bear Hunt.”

Cope said if the events in each school district are successful, she would like eventually to make StoryWalk more permanent.

“I would absolutely love to install these in parks with more permanent structures,” she said. “There are all kinds of cool apparatuses they have for families to enjoy all year round.”

Cope said the most time- consuming aspect of the event was deconstructing each book to laminate pages and that partnering organizations will help put the pages on stakes for set-up.

There will be comprehensive questions for parents to engage in with their child and a short activity offered after completing the book.