Winchester Community StoryWalks®

storywalk banner

 

A Perfect Time for a StoryWalk®

StoryWalk® is an innovative and delightful way for children — and adults! — to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time. Read a children's book as you stroll down a path or trail. The whole family can get fresh air, a little exercise, and read an interactive story together. Promoting movement literacy and outdoor exploration in the Winchester community, StoryWalks® allow for families to build literacy skills and further sensory engagement.

StoryWalk® was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont in 2007 with a grant for $250 and a brilliant idea. Since then, StoryWalks® have been installed in 50 states and 13 countries including, Germany, Canada, England, Bermuda, Russia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and South Korea.

 

In our community, we have five StoryWalk® locations where stories change every three months. 

  1. The first location at The Handley Library allows you to walk around the small, paved Mike Foreman Rotary Reading Garden, while enjoying various seating with room for strollers and wheelchairs. Sponsored by Winchester Campaign for Grade Level Reading.
  2. The second location at The Bowman Library. It is set along the Bowman Lake Trail, which is a path designed for pedestrians that is 6 feet wide. The trail is a loop that starts and ends at the library and borders a local community. There are often ducks and other wildlife found on the trail that is ½ mile in length and good for strollers and wheelchairs. Sponsored by Frederick County Parks and Recreation
  3. LOCATION CURRENTLY DOWN DUE TO MUSEUM EXHIBIT: WILL RETURN SPRING 2023. The third location at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum on Cork Street in Winchester can enjoy a StoryWalk® on the open-air 4th floor, as well as get an amazing bird’s eye view of downtown Winchester. This is the only location where the entrance to the StoryWalk® requires admission.
  4. LOCATION CURRENTLY UNDER REPAIR. The fourth location at Rose Hill Park on Jones Road in Winchester is set along part of a 1.2-mile interpretive hiking trail. There are also bathrooms, a picnic shelter, and a small playground for public use, not to mention ample parking. Sponsored by Frederick County Parks and Recreation and Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
  5. The fifth location at Blandy Experimental Farm follows a walking route at the Native Plant Trail meadow. Then, it follows a stone wall as it winds its way to the Bamboo Forest (a kid favorite!). The route is ~0.25 miles over lawn and leaf litter, with occasionally bumpy terrain. Start near the section of the Native Plant Trail where the meadow meets the woodland. Along the way, you'll pass a native grass meadow, skirt Lake Georgette (a seasonal pond), and walk under a canopy of unique tree species in the arboretum's collection.

Each location is a slightly different experience, and you can make a day out of visiting a StoryWalk® at any of our locations by bringing a picnic lunch, meeting up with friends, and visiting other area attractions at the same time. Enjoy the educational prompts paired with our stories that encourage developmental skill-building and family engagement, too. More locations will be coming soon!

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

Pictures from our StoryWalks®

StoryWalk Pictures

 

StoryWalk® Location Map

Handley Library

Mike Foreman Rotary Reading Garden

100 West Piccadilly Street

Winchester, VA 22601

 

Current Story

 A bilingual picture book that’s sweet enough to eat about a chatty bluebird and an indecisive T. Rex who can’t decide what his next meal should be, introducing readers to basic Spanish and English food vocabulary.

I'm Hungry

Bowman Library

871 Tasker Road

Stephens City, VA 22655

 

 

Current Story

Four children, a cat, and a dog move to a tree, a raft, a cave, and finally the seashore, enjoying each new dwelling until they discover its drawbacks.

We Were Tired of Living in a House

Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum

LOCATION CURRENTLY DOWN DUE TO MUSEUM EXHIBIT: WILL RETURN SPRING 2023.

19 West Cork Street

Winchester, VA 22601

Current Story

En I Need a Hug / Necesito un abrazo, un diminuto puercoespín solo quiere que lo acurruquen, pero los demás animales huyen de él a causa de sus espinas. Por suerte, al final el puercoespín encuentra a un animal que está dispuesto a darle un abrazo... ¡una serpiente!In I Need a Hug, a tiny porcupine just wants a cuddle. All of the other animals turn him away because of his prickly spikes. But finally the porcupine meets an animal who's happy to hug -- a snake!

I Need a Hug

Rose Hill Park

LOCATION CURRENTLY UNDER REPAIR FOR NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS.

1871 Jones Road

Winchester, VA 22602

 

 

Current Story

How to Fold a Taco is a delightful, irreverent and fun bilingual children's book that uses fantastical elements such as wrestlers, dragons, magicians, dinosaurs and more to explore creative ways to fold the popular Mexican dish, the Taco. 

How to Fold a Taco