INNISFAIL – For more than 20 years family literacy has been celebrated across the country.
Here in Innisfail, families can take part in the 4th annual Family Literacy Festival with activities, special guests and plenty of family fun.
The event takes place at the Innisfail Public Library/Learning Centre from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 25.
“(Family Literacy Day) is always January 27 but we’re holding ours on the Saturday closest to the date which is January 25,” said Tara Downs, library manager.
The event is a joint effort between the Henday Association for Lifelong Learning, the Innisfail Public Library, Envision Children Innisfail and the Town of Innisfail, which provides a small grant for the event through the Community Grant Program, noted Downs.
The Family Literacy Festival will focus on literacy-related activities for the entire family, including those for children, teens and adults, said Downs.
This year’s theme for the Family Literacy Festival is Under the Sea.
“We have a bunch of different activities,” she said, noting activities for young children include storytime, a treasure hunt, crafts, games and possibly face painting.
“For the older kids we’re going to have the virtual reality again and we’re going to have what’s called Harry Potter coding,” said Downs.
In addition, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. there will be a free hotdog lunch served by members of town council.
The event will focus on activities for different types of literacy, noted Downs.
“The Henday Association for Lifelong Learning is doing sensory play, Envision Children Innisfail is doing tinker shack and they’ll have a plinko (game),” she added. “So there’s all kinds of different interactive activities.”
The Henday Association for Lifelong Learning is also doing a family literacy bingo sheet.
“They can pick up the bingo sheets here at the library or at the Henday Association and they can fill them out,” said Downs, adding that bingo sheets must be completed before the Family Literacy Festival event on Jan. 25. “Then they enter to win a draw. They mark the bingo sheet when they’ve read a certain type of book,” she added.
Downs said they look forward to another good turnout for the event this year.
“One of the things we want to target is family activities and events because we don’t really have anything in Innisfail that involves that and this (Family Literacy Festival) is one of those events,” Downs concluded.
