Clearwater will be celebrating Family Literacy Week (Jan. 26 to Feb. 2) with a bunch of events to help get families off their phones, gaming systems, and TVs and involved in reading. Everyone in Clearwater is encouraged to unplug and play.
“Family Literacy activities are important as they support literacy skills for everyone in the family in a fun environment and in fun ways. For example, playing a board game, following a recipe, etc,” said Kerry Milner-Cairns, Literacy Outreach Coordinator for Clearwater. “Family literacy activities help children improve and develop literacy and language skills which are the foundation skills for all learning.”
Family Literacy Week is an annual campaign in B.C. The week also includes the nationally celebrated ABC Life Literacy Canada’s Family Literacy Day. This year’s theme is “Let’s Read Together.”
“Reading with children connects them to the people they love. “It’s a child’s introduction to reading and helps create a lifelong love of reading,” said Margaret Sutherland, executive director of Decoda Literacy Solutions - B.C.’s provincial literacy organization.
The week-long activities will kick off on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m. at the North Thompson Sportsplex, where attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favourite story or comic book character and skate and/or play board games. Skating will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m, with cards and board games also starting at 4 but run until 7 p.m. The event is free and for all ages, however, skaters must bring their own helmet.
The event continues on Wednesday, with a magic show at the Dutch Lake Community Centre at 6 p.m.
Wells Gray Country Seniors Society Writers Circle will also be hosting an authors’ meet and greet from 1 to 2 p.m. at the public library.
On Friday the WGCSS Writers Circle will be hosting a Fun with Words game at the Seniors Room (at the Dutch Lake Community Centre) from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Lunch (soup) will be served before the game.
Later that night, there will be a teen night from 7 to 10 p.m. at the hall, however, further details are to be announced.
On Saturday, there will be a Teddy Bear Picnic at the community hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will include a mother goose circle, storytime and lunch, along with snacks and other activities such as face painting. The event is free and people will have a chance to win prizes. From 1:30 to 2 p.m. there will also be an outdoor teddy bear obstacle course.
