Wednesday, July 25, 2007

reading and planting this summer in the UK

We read an interesting story on thisischeshire.co.uk and Hippyshopper (a great website - very recommended!) about The Big Wild Read - a program that encourages children in the UK to go the libraries and read books through the summer holidays.

The program is running this summer for the ninth time and is aimed at 4-11 year olds kids all over the UK. According to the article "Children are challenged to read six or more books, spurred on by a range of free incentives and activities."

Not only that, but the program is also a call to action for children to make a positive difference to the environment, and trees are been planted for every book the children read, via a partnership with the Woodland Trust's Tree for All campaign. Their target, according to the program's website, is to plant 20,000 new trees this summer.

What a great program - gives children incentives to read, gives them the opportunity to take the books from the library, and also gives them an important lesson on the need to go green by planting trees for the books they read.

Now, with Jamie Oliver taking care of their healthy school dinners and programs like this, it seems that children in the UK are greener and healthier than ever.

More information on the Big Wild Read can be found here.

Raz

The picture above is from the Big Wild Read website.