Peterborough Reads recently hosted our first socially distanced event since lockdown started in March. We were joined by 100 families in Ferry Meadows for a storytelling and book gifting event supported by Hungry Little Minds.
The event was hosted by Lisa Clissett, our Events and Volunteers Officer, who read We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, The Bumblebear by Nadia Shireen and We’re Going on a Lion Hunt by David Axtell. Parents and carers who attended noted that it was great to be able to watch behaviours being modelled to children once more – something that has been missed during lockdown. The event was also an opportunity for parents to share story tips from a safe distance.
We ensured the event followed social distancing rules with posters that reminded families to maintain a 2 metre distance and we also provided hand sanitiser.
Families who attended also received a free Hungry Little Minds gift bag that included a free picture book and a scavenger hunt activity to complete together at home. Hungry Little Minds is a government campaign to support parents with their child’s development at home.
Events like these are aimed at helping parents and carers support their little ones with chat, play, and read activities to help give them the best start in life. The first five years of a child’s life are formative to their development and our research shows that a child who starts school at the age of five without the literacy skills they need are more likely to be held back at every stage of their lives, affecting everything from employment status to mental health.
We also hosted a Facebook Live for families who are shielding or were unable to attend the event. Lisa made up a story about the different objects she found while on her daily walk and encouraged children to go on their own sensory scavenger hunt using our activity sheet. The video is still available to watch on our Facebook page.
It was great to see so many of you last week! Stay tuned for more Hungry Little Minds events happening near you soon.
"It was so great to see so many families attending our gifting event and to hear all about their times over the lockdown period. We were able to share both successes and challenges recognising all the hard work that families had done in maintaining the home learning environment. It also become apparent that lots of us have missed having reassurance that we are on the right track as so many groups and services have been unable to run."
Lisa Clisset, Events and Volunteer Officer for National Literacy Trust