This fall, I had the pleasure of visiting a StoryWalk® Trail at Distant Hill Gardens in Walpole, NH. On or about the first of each month, the Walpole Town Library installs a new children’s book along the trail, turning the woods into an outdoor reading adventure. As their website explains:

“The book trail consists of laminated pages of each book posted along the trail, with a fun thing for the kiddos to do as they move from page to page.”

What struck me most was that these “fun things for the kiddos” truly bring joy to all ages. On my visit, our group ranged in age from our 40s to 90s, and everyone was drawn into the magic. I watched two 90-year-olds twirl like leaves blowing in the wind, laughing as they searched excitedly for a special leaf to complete one of the prompts. It was a beautiful reminder that storytelling and play are ageless.

StoryWalks® and the Seasons

StoryWalks® often highlight the current season, adding another layer of connection to place. For example, Beaver Brook Association in Milford, NH, is currently featuring Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley on their Burns Farm Loop—a playful book that captures the quirks and colors of autumn.

A Vermont Innovation that Went Global

The StoryWalk® Project was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Since then, it has grown far beyond Vermont. Today, StoryWalks® exist across the United States and in 13 countries worldwide, including Germany, Canada, Bermuda, Pakistan, and South Korea!

StoryWalk® is a registered service mark of Ms. Ferguson and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. To learn more about guidelines for creating one, check out the official StoryWalk® FAQ.

StoryWalks® in New Hampshire & Vermont

In addition to Distant Hill Gardens, here are just a few organizations in our region that host StoryWalks®:

• Aaron Cutler Memorial Library, Litchfield, NH

• Groton Free Public Library, Groton, VT

• Squam Lakes Association, Holderness, NH

• Montpelier Public Library, Iron Horse River Trail, Montpelier, VT

• Beaver Brook Association, Milford, NH

• Abbott Library, Sunapee, NH

• Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, VT

• Stonewall Farm, Keene, NH

Do you know of other StoryWalks® happening in Vermont or New Hampshire? We’d love to add them to this list! Please email  thenetworkVT@gmail.com.

Want to Start a StoryWalk®?

If you’re in Vermont, you can borrow a StoryWalk® from the state collection. If you’re outside Vermont, it’s easy to create your own: laminate the pages of a children’s book, mount them on wooden stakes, and install them along a trail or outdoor path. Just be sure to review the StoryWalk® guidelines to do it properly.

For questions about the StoryWalk® Project, email storywalk@kellogghubbard.org.

Written by Leigh Ann Reynolds, VEEN Coordinator & NHEE Administrator