October 3
Learning happens everywhere a child goes, but parents, grandparents and caregivers may not always know how to support that learning.
That won’t be the case at the Fountain Meadows Butterfly Park on Campbell Street in Valparaiso. When Mom and Dad, Aunt Amy and Grandpa take their favorite young child to Fountain Meadows Butterfly Park now, they’ll be able to play even more fun games together that will help the child come to school ready to succeed.
That’s because the United Way Northwest Indiana United Way Success By 6 initiative created an outdoor interactive early learning trail leading to Butterfly Park to help parents, grandparents and caregivers turn excursions into fun learning moments.
The Born Learning Trail is a series of learning activities that any adult can play with young children at Butterfly Park. The trail is being sponsored and built as the result of a new partnership between Valparaiso Parks and Recreation and United Way Success By 6. This particular trail (the first one in Northwest Indiana) has been adopted by the Valparaiso Sunrise Kiwanis Club.
Based on the latest early childhood research and approval by national early learning experts through United Way Worldwide, the Born Learning Trail is designed to help adults interact with children to boost language and literacy development and to help caregivers understand how to best support early learning in outdoor moments.
There are 10 signs on the Born Learning Trail, each including individual activities. For example, the Watch! Stop! Play! trail marker encourages the caregiver to follow the child’s lead, building the child’s curiosity and confidence while reinforcing the learning already under way.
“The Born Learning Trail promotes fun and games, important components of early childhood learning,” said Sharon Kish, President of the United Way of Porter County. “Research tells us children are literally ‘born learning.’ That means five years of education take place before they ever even enter kindergarten. We know that what happens in a child’s early years matters for success in life and for school readiness. And we want to help parents, grandparents and caregivers use everyday outings, including trips to Butterfly Park, to support learning.”
Parents who need information and resources about early childhood programs can visit our website at www.SuccessBy6.org
United Way research has found that many parents undervalue their role in preparing young children for school, that parents and caregivers don’t know exactly what actions to take to prepare young children for school and that they often feel they don’t have the time to do what is needed.
