A brand new adventure is around the corner in Scarborough for children aged 2-5

The trail, which is part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign, officially opens on Friday July 9 for families of children aged 2-5.

The trail is based on a bespoke story about Hairy Bob, pirates and smugglers around the local area, written by children’s author Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and illustrated by Aaron Cushley.

It will lead families around the church yard and Royal Albert Park as they follow the adventures of Uncle Josh, Mia, Kai and their dog Tufty.

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.

The team are thrilled to announce that Twilight Productions will be joining the trail and performing throughout the duration of the walk.

Families, carers, early years settings and guardians are invited to register to the special launch of the story trail on Friday July 9 at 10:00, where families will be greeted by Captain Hey-Ho! from CaVCA, who will start them off on their adventure around the park.

Upon completion of the story trail, all children will receive a free Hungry Little Minds goodie bag.

The Hungry Little Minds team in Scarborough is following Government guidelines to ensure that the event is COVID-19 safe and so there are a limited number of spaces. There are eight sessions taking place throughout the day, to book your place register via Eventbrite:

Hungry Little Minds Story Trail Scarborough EventbriteFollowing the event, the story trail booklet will be available to pick up from CaVCA’s building: The Street, 12 Lower Clark Street, Scarborough.

All parents, carers and early years settings with little ones aged 2-5 are encouraged to pick up a booklet, enjoy the story of Hairy Bob and help develop their children’s literacy skills along the way!

The launch in Scarborough 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.

This 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 Scarborough 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 Scarborough’s Royal Albert 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!”

Mel Bonney, Chief Executive Officer at Coast and Value Community Action, said: “We are delighted to have been given this opportunity to develop a unique story trail for the under 5s to enjoy.

"Celebrating the towns smuggling heritage, the trail starts in St Mary’s Church Yard, meanders through Royal Albert Park, and comes to an end at Hairy Bob’s Cave.

"The launch event will be filled full of fun activities, with a surprise or two along the way – who knows, even Hairy Bob himself, might make an appearance on the day!”

Kerry Nicholson, Owner and Director at Twilight Productions, said: "The social development and learning of young people has always been the foundation here at Twilight, so we jumped at the chanced to be involved with the Story trail!

"We believe in supporting local young people and their families with fun and learning, so what better way than to combine those elements in an adventure in their home town?"

For more information on the Hungry Littles Minds campaign in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey please visit CaVCA’s website (CaVCA) or for more information on the local Story Trails launch visit: (www.facebook.com/hungrylittlemindsNYcoast)

For more simple tips and activities that parents can do to support their children’s literacy at home, visit the national Hungry Little Minds website: (https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/) or the National Literacy Trust’s Words for Life website: (https://wordsforlife.org.uk/).