Read a book and help protect your environment. That's the message theReading Agency is hoping to get across to thousands of children thissummer as it launches The Big Wild Read, its ninth annual Summer ReadingChallenge.
The challenge grows in popularity every year, with 97 per cent oflibrary authorities across the UK now involved and 660,000 childrentaking part last summer. The aim is simple: to encourage children tovisit their local library and read a book of their own choice at leastsix times during the school summer holidays.
This year the organisers have linked in with the BBC's 'BreathingPlaces' and the Woodland Trust's 'Tree for All' campaigns to encouragechildren to make a positive difference to their environment. The themeis a broad one, encompassing nature, wildlife, conservation andrecycling and, as an added incentive, every book read will earn a treetoken, in return for which the Woodland Trust is promising to plant upto 20,000 new trees.
Taking part in The Big Wild Read should be a fun experience, and thelibraries are going all out to make it one. As soon as a child visits alibrary and registers for the challenge, they will be given a specialfolder to record their reading progress and can start collecting sets oftree tokens and stickers to decorate it. The stickers themselves arerather special, with 'scratch and sniff' scents ranging from aromaticflowers and strawberries to the somewhat less delightful whiff of smellycompost! Most libraries will also be offering a range of rewards alongthe way, many made from recycled materials - anything from fridgemagnets, bookmarks and pencils to packets of wildflower seeds, one ateach library visit and all completely free.
The main focus is on the four- to 11-year-old age range, but librariesare usually happy to involve younger children in any way they can. Therewill be collections of new books on display, each specially chosen tohighlight the nature theme or just because it is a great read, plusextra titles celebrating equality and diversity. There will be a vastrange of environment-related family events and craft activities on offertoo, from story sessions, face painting and mask-making to puppet shows,colouring competitions and meeting animals and insects face-to-face.
The challenge will be launched on different dates across the country,but should be up and running in all areas by early July, continuingthrough to the second week of September. So, now is the time to ask yourlocal library what's happening in your area, and find out how you andthe children in your care can get involved. And what better time tobring the conservation theme into the nursery setting? There are lots ofways you can encourage an interest in nature and an awareness of howbest to enjoy and protect it.
A few ideas for you to try
- Choose books for the story corner that feature ponds, woodland animalsor the seashore. Read one every day.
- Hold a nursery rhyme session with a wildlife or garden theme, such asIncy Wincy Spider, Little Miss Muffet, Five Little Speckled Frogs. Whatothers can you think of?
- Set up a nature table and encourage the children to bring in prettypebbles, acorns, conkers and shells. Explore all the different texturesand shapes, and have the children hold seashells to their ears to listenfor sounds of the sea.
- Collect leaves from different plants and trees. Compare the shapes andcolours, use them as stencils to draw round or make collages.
- Help each child to plant a sunflower seed in a cup. Watch the plantsgrow week by week, and offer a reward for the tallest.
- Hang a bird feeder outside and enjoy watching the birds thatvisit.
- Make simple toys and models using only natural and recyclablematerials - finger puppets from oddments of fabric, castles from cerealpackets and kitchen roll tubes, or musical shakers from plastic bottlesfilled with dry pasta shapes.
- Make woodland animal masks - owls, rabbits, foxes and badgers - usingpaper plates, thin elastic and felt pens. Add a few feathers, lengths ofwool for whiskers, or scraps of cotton wool to simulate fur.
- Try making a spider from a toy car. Cover it with black paper andattach pipe cleaner legs, then watch it run across the floor! Or use redpaper and a few scraps of black to create a ladybird version.
- Further information
- www.reading agency.org.uk/projects/children/The BigWildRead.html, formore about the Summer Reading Challenge
- www.bigwildread. co.uk. This children's website, going live on 16June, offers a message board, games and activities, nature tips and aparents' corner
- www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces, for the BBC campaign to encourage thepublic to engage with nature
- www.woodland-trust.org.uk, dedicated to protecting and preservingwoodlands.
