
Uko Akpanuko
Daily Herald
Canada will be celebrating the Family Literacy Day on Jan 27 with the theme ‘learning to be green together’ and the Prince Albert Literacy Network has put together a free event to mark the Family Fun Day on Saturday.
“Our entire hope is to celebrate family literacy,” Prince Albert Literacy Network Family Literacy Coordinator Kara Thorpe said. “The concept of family literacy is that we can all learn and grow from each other together as one unit. (It’s) adults teaching children and children teaching adults and all of the fun activities set up in the circle will be leaning towards that. It’s kind of neat to see. Sometimes the kids have tidbits of information that they share with their parents that they learnt in school that their parents don’t know or the opposite.”
The event will include a story walk, take home art kits, a Pop-up Art Gallery, other book readings and free snacks. Thorpe said it’s all aimed at encouraging family reading and protecting our environment.
‘Fox and Bear’ by northern Saskatchewan author Miriam Korner was chosen as the feature book for the story walk. Thorpe said the book touches on a lot of real life’s issues like the difference between a need and a want, consumerism, protecting our forest and how do we protect the Earth.
“All the provincial family literacy offices are running with it and its super nice because it’s by a local author just out of La Range,” she explained.
For the Pop-up Art Gallery, Thorpe said they put out a challenge to the community, asking for art submissions made out of recycled goods. They received roughly 28 pieces from artists in kindergarten all the way through to high school which will be on display.
Thorpe said a number of partners have contributed in one way or the other to make the event a reality such as the Conservation Learning Centre, PA Model Forest, PA Compost Team, the Gateway Mall, and youths who are going to do free face painting, winter festival, Imagination Library, the Grateful Box that will offer the snacks etc.
“It’s fun that it’s in January and everybody is looking at the snow that is coming down and wondering how they’re going to entertain their little ones for the day,” Thorpe said. “They can
come to the mall and have free time. They can come and hang out and do something a little different for the day.”
The Prince Albert Literacy Network Family Fun Day runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gateway Mall on Saturday, Jan. 25.