Come with me to Brookwood Park on Rutherford St. in Landrum. There’s something new and fun going on and I want to tell you about it. It’s called the Born Learning Trail. The Spartanburg Foundation awarded a grant to United Way Young Leaders to install the trail. Young Leaders is a  group of young people in their 20s and 30s who donate time and money to United Way.

The idea behind Born Learning is that children begin to learn the minute they are born.

Parents who interact with their young children are helping them to be better prepared to start school. The Born Learning Trail in Brookwood Park encourages parents and children to learn while having fun together.

As we begin the trail, there is a big sign painted on the walk that says, “Start,” so we know we’re in the right place.  As we walk along the trail we come to signs with suggestions for activities, accompanied by big, colorful drawings painted on the trail.

One of my favorites suggests pretending to “move like an animal, walk like a duck or frog.” The painting depicts a big smiling, green frog and a bright yellow duck. It’s hard to resist hopping along like a frog or waddling like a duck. The sign also gives us a trail tip, “Physical activity exercises a child’s body and mind.”

Let’s move along to the sign that tells us to “look, listen, touch, and think.” It instructs us to find a flower or a tree to touch and describe. I look around and see a tree with a very unusual bark pattern. I wonder how many children walk past this tree every day and never notice the strange bark that looks like broken squares. Maybe this trail will help develop their awareness of the surroundings in the park. Trail tip here reads, “Exploring the things around you helps children learn to solve problems.”

As we stroll along we come to the sign that says “talk, listen, sing.” The brightly painted picture shows birds singing. The park is quiet so let’s listen to the birds for a minute.  Hear the bird calling to his mate? Listen again.  His mate answers with the same call. They go back and forth talking to each other. And then the big crow soars overhead with a “caw, caw.” The blue jay screeches. The songs vary all day long. Our trail tip says, “Talking and singing with children teaches them words and gets them ready to read.”

As we stop at another sign, we admire the playful, wooly caterpillar adorning the sidewalk. I’ve learned that it was painted by Nicholas Price, age 13. Nicholas attends Boiling Springs Middle School and his mom, Kimberly Cordone, works with Wells Fargo. This sign tells us to “let your child lead the way.” It would be fun to follow this charming caterpillar, leading the way. Trail tip, “When you follow a child’s lead, curiosity and confidence grow.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed our walk today. Come back often with some children and take part in all the suggested activities. What great memories and lessons this trail will create.

Many thanks go to Angela Thomas and the Wells Fargo volunteers who helped construct the Born Learning Trail. Thanks to Monica Greene of United Way for helping me learn about the trail.

For more information about the Born Learning program visit www.bornlearning.org and www.bornlearningupstatesc.org.