(submitted photo/Meadow Lake Library)

By Nicole Reis

Stuffy Sleepover

Literacy Day Sleepover changes dynamic of family time

Jan 8, 2020 | 4:28 PM

Kids, mark your calendars and find your favorite toy. The Meadow Lake Library Stuffy Sleepover is in its third year and proves to be an exciting time for staff and the community.

Tawn Marshall, programming clerk with Meadow Lake Library told meadowlakeNOW the event is part of Family Literacy Day and encourages parents, caregivers and children to read together as a family.

“We’re pretty excited about it. Families and kiddos bring their stuffy or whoever is their favorite toy, and come to the library. They’ll pick out a bedtime story to read to the stuffy and do that together as a family,”

Families will fill out an identification card for their stuffed toy so staff can know how to take care of the toy. Kids will tuck the toy in to be left overnight at the library.

“Of course, those stuffies go right to sleep and cause no trouble at all,” Marshall said with a laugh. “On the following day, breakfast is served where kids can see what their toys got up to overnight.”

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(submitted photo/Meadow Lake Library)

This year’s Literacy Day theme is ‘Take 20 in 2020.’ The idea is to encourage families to take 20 minutes every day to learn together.

“This is another way to show an example of how literacy can be expanded and it’s not just a straightforward story time. Something as simple as having kids read to their stuffies changes the dynamic and expands what literacy can be in a family. It’s one way we like to encourage people to participate as a family,” Marshall said.

Last year’s sleepover drew nearly 28 families and Marshall said the event became a tradition in some households.

“Family Literacy Day is always Jan. 27 but we like to pick a Friday and Saturday so more people can participate. We always pick the weekend that’s closest so as many people as possible can join,” she added.

The bedtime story portion begins on Friday, Jan. 24 from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. with breakfast and an additional story session to follow on Saturday, Jan. 25 beginning at 10:30 a.m.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722