Hundreds visit Coombe for Reading in the Park event
Thursday 26 July 2012
Hundreds of children enjoyed a wonderful day at Coombe Country Park on Tuesday at the Reading in the Park event:Bugs and Birds and Butterflies.
Coombe Rangers, Coventry Libraries and Free Radio worked together to deliver an event designed to get children interested in reading.
The warm weather helped swell the numbers and gave Coombe their busiest day so far this year.
Library staff brought the mobile library along, ready to sign up anyone who hadn't already got a library ticket, and 63 children were happy to do so on the day.
JD and Roisin Gibbons from Free Radio read excited children stories, and there was also face painting, balloon modelling as well as craft activities and fruit tasting from the Cook and Eat Well Team.
The rangers took groups of children on walks, discovering the creatures that they had heard about in the stories.
Councillor David Kershaw, Coventry City Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Education and Libraries, said; "We want to get more children reading more, and feeling confident and enthusiastic about their reading. Research has shown that children's reading levels can drop during the holiday period, so events like this, along with the libraries' summer reading scheme offer a free, fun way to keep children interested in reading and sharing books. Having this event in a beautiful location like Coombe is just the icing on the cake."
