The Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Foundation is excited to launch a new program: Trail Tykes!
Created for children ages two to five years, parents or guardians can join their little ones at the free weekday morning series to hear nature-related stories, sing songs and take short walks at the visitor center to investigate the “small wonders” around us.
Every day, families with small children come to Mission Trails, often to the visitor center to have an educational experience that also offers stunning views and physical activity via the meandering paths around the facility. The visitor center is also an ideal venue for little ones because it’s expansive yet welcoming, with interactive exhibits and many areas to explore.
The program was conceived by MTRP Foundation board member, retired archeologist and San Carlos resident Ruth Gautereaux.
Gautereaux said, “It is important to introduce children to the park at an early age, so they’re not intimidated by natural spaces.”
In addition to serving families who already frequent the visitor center, she hopes that Trail Tykes will bring new visitors to the park: “Mission Trails is a place for all of us and I hope that those unfamiliar with the park will come to see it as a community resource.”
For years, Gautereaux has volunteered as a reader at City of San Diego libraries and through Words Alive. She loves introducing children to the written word. Gautereaux herself is a children’s book author: her book “The Painted Rocks” highlights the Piedras Pintadas archaeological site, located in north San Diego County.
To find the perfect selection of books for the series, the MTRP Foundation consulted with Erin Moore, youth services librarian at San Carlos Branch Library. The collaboration has resulted in a diverse reading list for future Trail Tykes events and includes counting books, alphabet books, and stories about animals and insects that can be found at MTRP.
Trail Tykes will take place every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the MTRP visitor center, beginning Wednesday, April 13 from 10 -11 a.m., meeting in the visitor center lobby.
The program is free, and no registration is required. Many thanks to the MTRP Foundation volunteers who will read and engage with participating families and to donors of the MTRP Foundation who help make our public programs possible. Questions? Email: [email protected].
(Courtesy Photo Angie Ollman)
