Wioletta Wrzaszczak carefully finger painted a purple butterfly onto a ceramic flower pot.
The 5-year-old Worth girl then placed planting soil and a tiny flower into a pot to take home.
“I was nervous at first but it turned out so pretty,” Wioletta said.
The youngster and her mother, Monika Wrzaszczak were among dozens of parents and children who recently participated in a craft activity at the Oak Lawn “StoryWalk” at Lake Shore Park, 9610 E. Shore Drive in Oak Lawn.
At StoryWalk, laminated pages from a children’s picture book are installed along an outdoor path throughout Lake Shore Park. As children walk the path, they are directed to the next page in the story.
The laminated pages are durable to protect the pages from snow, rain and heat.
In 2015, Oak Lawn started the nationally recognized year-round program to promote literacy along with physical activity.
The StoryWalk book is changed four times a year with a story fitting each season.
This spring the Oak Lawn Public Library and the Oak Lawn Park District collaborated to host a flower pot activity event for children in honor of the spring season. This is the first year that the park district used a craft project in the StoryWalk.
The event was free and open to the public.
The book used to represent spring was “Waiting for Wings” by Lois Ehlert’s “Waiting for Wings,” which remains on display until the end of this month. Ehlert story follows the transformation of four butterflies, from their beginnings as tiny hidden eggs and hungry caterpillars to full-grown butterflies.
The book was not only selected because of its spring-related topic, but also because of its colorful and clear page designs and to go along with the season, sai Jen Abler, Oak Lawn Library’s head of youth services.
“Every spring, butterflies emerge and dazzle the world with their vibrant beauty, but children may wonder where they come from,” said Denise Iwinski, Oak Lawn Park District’s marketing and public relations supervisor. “This is a story about a caterpillar getting its wings and it will go great with the flower planter project.”
Oak Lawn Park District Director Maddie Kelly said: “We began StoryWalk with the intention to get families outside together, regardless of the time of year.”
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Monika Wrzaszczak said she believes the potting activity was a good activity.
“I absolutely love this idea,” she said. “We had no idea it was going to be so much fun.”
Kelly White is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.