A brand new story trail from the National Literacy Trust and Hungry Little Minds in the Black Country is launching at Sandwell Valley Country Park.

The trail, which is part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign, officially opens on Wednesday 7 July at 10:00 for families of children aged 2-5. 

It's based on a bespoke story about a wicked queen and her mermaid, written by children’s author Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and illustrated by Aaron Cushley. It will lead families around the Sandwell Valley Country Park as they follow the adventures of Uncle Josh, Mia, Kai and their dog Scruffy. This brand new immersive experience will aid children’s language and literacy development as they fill out their booklet while following the story around the park.

Families, carers and guardians and early years settings are invited to the special launch of the story trail on Wednesday 7 July at 10:00 where Aman Dhanda from West Smethwick Enterprise will start children off on the adventure around the park. All attendees will then receive a free Hungry Little Minds goodie bag upon completion of the story trail.

The Hungry Little Minds team in the Black Country is following Government guidelines to ensure that the event is COVID-19 safe and so there are a limited number of spaces. To book, register via their Eventbrite page.

Following the event, the story trail booklet will be available to pick up from the Garden Tea Room. All parents, carers and early years settings with children aged 2-5 are encouraged to pick up a booklet, enjoy the magical story and help develop the children’s literacy and learning skills along the way!

The launch in Black Country is one of 12 story trails launching across the country as part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign, funded by the Department for Education and delivered by the National Literacy Trust. The campaign provides families of children under five with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines whilst building their child’s speech and language skills at home. Rebecca Lewis-Oakes, Children’s Author and writer of the Hungry Little Minds Story Trails, said:

“I am absolutely thrilled to be working with the National Literacy Trust and local partners in Black Country on this project. It has been a pleasure to discover so many beautiful parks across the country and view them through the exuberant imagination of pre-schoolers.

"I hope this Hungry Little Minds story trail encourages families to explore and enjoy Sandwell Valley Country Park, with a gentle underlying prompt toward those key Early Years learning concepts. I look forward to seeing the little one’s reactions as they make their way around the magical trail!”

For more details on the Story Trail campaign visit the National Literacy Trust or for more information on your local Story Trails launch visit the Hungry Little Minds Facebook page.