By Jill Sperling

Packed schedule of events planned for Unplug and Play Family Literacy Week

Jan 25, 2019 | 3:28 PM

KAMLOOPS — There will be no lack of family-friendly activities to take part in this coming week. 

The Interior Savings Unplug and Play week kicks off Saturday with the 13th ABC Family Literacy Day. 

Dozens of activities are planned throughout the week to encourage children to trade in their screens for time with family. 

“You know, we’re all spending a lot of time on screens now, so for children to learn, really nothing replaces that face to face and doing things together,” said Fiona Clare, Literacy Outreach Coordinator with Literacy in Kamloops (LinK). “If you think about it your favourite memories are often the times families did things together and went places and talked about what you did and what you see.” 

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LinK, along with the City of Kamloops and a variety of other community organizations have planned a jam-packed week of activities promoting family literacy. 

“Tonight at the Blazers game we’ve got the Heap the Honda book drive, it’s actually the last day, so bring a children’s book to the Blazers game,” Clare said. “And then tomorrow’s the kick-off of Unplug and Play Week, so we have ABC Family Literacy Day.”

Family Literacy Day will take place at the Henry Grube Centre from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is free to attend. 

“Families are going to have an opportunity to sit and listen to stories be told,” said Maureen Doll, chair of the ABC Family Literacy Day Committee. “There’s going to be oral stories as well as read out loud, and there will be lots of entertainment … and we wrap it up with the ukulele orchestra of Kamloops.” 

There will also be a variety of activity stations, all with the goal of getting children to engage in play without their phones, tablets, or television. 

“It’s just going to be a good time,” Doll said, “and again, it’s just about creating memories and just putting everything else away, not worrying about anything else but really playing with your children engaging with them and enjoying each others’ company.” 

ABC Family Literacy Day is only the start of the week-long events, with events being hosted by the library, Kamloops Art Gallery and Kamloops Makerspace. 

“Keep checking us,” Clare said, “you have to plug in on Facebook to the Unplug and Play page or go to Literacy in Kamloops and just keep an eye out for what’s happening every day and come and join us and spend some time together and make memories.”