You may have noticed little green bins in stores around Alvin before school ended and not even realized you’re on the route for the Read Around Town Scavenger Hunt hosted by Walt Disney and Stevenson elementaries libraries!
Students and families from the two campuses hit the road in April and May on a cross-town scavenger hunt put together by Disney Librarian Ronna Clawson and Stevenson Librarian Shelli Adams.
What started as a fun Easter egg hunt idea, snowballed into a city-wide, community focused event that has business owners and families excited to participate, Adams said.
“Due to some unforeseen scheduling and weather concerns, we delayed the initial activity, but that delay allowed us more time to more fully develop some key points of the activity and Read Around Town was the result,” she said. “The businesses were all very supportive when we called. This activity has been a good way to connect the community with our schools.”
Those green bins held a clue that helps decode a word puzzle, and when students return the decoded message, they get prizes! The goal was to show students that reading happens all around them, especially in their favorite stores and restaurants, while providing a fun, family activity everyone can enjoy.
“We really wanted to emphasize that reading is everywhere. It literally surrounds us.” Adams said. “It is not an isolated skill, concept, or subject that is learned at school in order to read a passage or answer questions. It is an integral part of everyday life.”
With that in mind, the two picked locations that families may know well, like Frobergs or the Alvin Public Library, but also other businesses where reading is essential even if it’s not the main focus, like Tommaso’s Italian Restaurant, the Enchanted Cottage, 1820 Coffee House and Jack and Jill’s Boutique.
“The kids and families are really enjoying getting the clues from around town. Many of them have said they didn’t even know some of the places were in Alvin! So on top of our original goal, we’ve helped promote some wonderful businesses in our hometown! Cool right!?” Clawson said,
With all 10 locations accounted for this year, Clawson and Adams are already excited to plan next year’s event and there’s no way to know where in Alvin the Read Across Town Scavenger Hunt will land next!