Take your kids on a Story Walk these school holidays

Get outside, explore nature and enjoy story time with your kids at the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens these school holidays.

Sunshine Coast Council Libraries have teamed up with the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens to provide a wonderful Story Walk experience in the gardens, and promote First 5 Forever.

Sunshine Coast Council Division 5 Councillor Winston Johnston said a Story Walk was an innovative way to experience a children’s picture book.

“This is the fourth year this popular initiative has taken place during the summer school holidays,” Cr Johnston said.

“A Story Walk gets kids and their parents or carers out in nature, exploring, talking, playing and importantly – reading, because children’s early literature is critical to their development.

“From December 10, 2021 until January 27, 2022 the pages of children’s picture book Backyard Bugs will be enlarged and spread along a pathway, so children and their families can follow the pages and read the book on their walk.

“From beautiful butterflies to kaleidoscopic Christmas beetles, the book is designed to teach kids, all about the scurrying, scuttling, scooting, buzzing and zooming splendour of insects.

“So make sure you find a time to visit the Story Walk these school holidays.”

The title is written by Helen Milroy, a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia and is published by Freemantle Press.

Australia’s first Indigenous doctor, Dr Milroy studied medicine at the University of Western Australia and is currently Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UWA. Backyard Bugs joins her other titles: Backyard Birds, Backyard Beasties and Wombat, Mudlark & other stories.

For more information, and to find out about other school holiday activities, head to the library website.

First 5 Forever is a Queensland Government initiative, coordinated by State Library of Queensland and delivered in partnership with local government.

It’s about working together as a community to spend time with our babies and children talking, reading, singing and playing. This universal family literacy program aims at creating stronger language and literacy environments for Queensland children before they start kindergarten or school.

**Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens
**51 Palm Creek Road, Tanawha
Open 7am – 6pm, Monday – Sunday.