Learning happens everywhere a child goes, but parents, grandparents and caregivers may not always know how to support that learning. 
That won’t be the case on Saturday October 9, 2010 12:30 pm at the Fountain Meadows Butterfly Park on Campbell Street in Valparaiso.
That’s because the Northwest Indiana United Way Success By 6 initiative created an outdoor interactive early learning trail leading to Butterfly Park to help parents, grandparents and caregivers turn excursions into fun learning moments.
The Born Learning Trail is a series of learning activities that any adult can play with young children at Butterfly Park. The trail is being sponsored and built as the result of a new partnership between Valparaiso Parks and Recreation and United Way Success By 6. This particular trail (the first one in Northwest Indiana) has been adopted by the Valparaiso Sunrise Kiwanis Club.
Based on the latest early childhood research and approval by national early learning experts through United Way Worldwide, the Born Learning Trail is designed to help adults interact with children to boost language and literacy development and to help caregivers understand how to best support early learning in outdoor moments. 
There are 10 signs on the Born Learning Trail, each including individual activities. For example, the Watch! Stop! Play! trail marker encourages the caregiver to follow the child’s lead, building the child’s curiosity and confidence while reinforcing the learning already under way.
The Born Learning Trail Grand Opening Day will be on Saturday October 9, 2010. Ribbon cutting by Valparaiso Parks and Recreation staff will be at 12:30 PM, afterwards there will be additional games and free food for all children 6 and under and their families.