Young kids will soon be able take part in an immersive story trail at a Cornish country park coming this month.

A brand new story trail from the National Literacy Trust and the Early Years Alliance is launching at Tehidy Country Park in July.

The story trail, which is part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign funded by the Department for Education, officially opens on the week commencing Monday 5 July in Tehidy Country Park in Camborne.

All families, nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Cornwall are invited across the course of the month to take children aged 2-5 on the magical trail.

The trail will lead families around the park as they follow the adventures of Uncle Josh, Mia, Kai and their dog Scruffy, the lead characters in Cornwall’s Tehidy Country Park bespoke story about the local area written by children’s author Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and illustrated by Aaron Cushley.

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.

All families and early years settings can pick up the free bespoke booklets to start them on their journey at Tehidy Country Park Café at the start of the trail.

In line with government Covid-19 guidance, we are asking all families to pre-book their story trail slot through the Early Years Alliance South West Facebook page.

Following the launch week, the story trail booklets will be available for anyone to pick up from the café. Families across Cornwall with little ones aged 2-5 are encouraged to pick up a booklet, enjoy the story trail and help develop children’s literacy and learning skills along the way!

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The launch in Cornwall 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 Cornwall 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 Tehidy 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!"

Juliette Moran, South West and South East Business Manager from the Early Years Alliance, said: "Cornwall has so many beautiful trails that it was so hard to pick just one place to set the story trails in.

"It was a privilege for my colleague Emma to walk the trail for the story and provide the author and artist with vivid pictures and imagery for them to reimagine in the story.

"I only wish my children were still young enough to immerse themselves in it!”

For more details on the Story Trail campaign visit the National Literacy Trust or for more information on the Story Trails launch visit: www.facebook.com/EYAlliancesouthwest