Champaign County's newest Born Learning Trail is now open at Human Kinetics Park, located at 1515 N. Market St., Champaign. Born Learning Trails transform everyday experiences into teachable moments for young children and their families. This installation marks the tenth Born Learning Trail in Champaign County.
The Born Learning Trail is an interactive, paved path featuring signs in English and Spanish that guide families through simple games and activities. These games are designed to make park visits both fun and educational, fostering early childhood learning and development.
The trail’s theme is "Watch! Stop! Learn! Play!" This encourages parents and caregivers to engage with their children, nurturing curiosity and confidence while highlighting learning opportunities in daily life.
Sue Grey, President & CEO of United Way of Champaign County, stated, "Born Learning Trails are one of many ways United Way of Champaign County is focused on improving Early Grade Level Success in our community. Everyone wins when we make learning fun and accessible to all. We are grateful to Human Kinetics volunteers who helped install the trail, and to the Champaign Park District for their willingness to include these Trails in our parks.”
Sarah Sandquist, Champaign Park District Executive Director, expressed similar enthusiasm: “We’re excited to add an additional Born Learning Trail to the Champaign Park District! Similar to our other locations, this addition to Human Kinetics Park will help engage children in playful learning. We are grateful to United Way and Human Kinetics for making this happen for our community!”
United Way, the Champaign Park District and Human Kinetics celebrated the Trail’s installation with a ribbon cutting on Friday, May 17 2024. Skip Maier, CEO of Human Kinetics, remarked, “It is part of Human Kinetics’ mission to play a role in improving the health and fitness of all members of the community through learning. As we celebrate our 50th year as a company here in Champaign, the Born Learning Trail in Human Kinetics Park at the Martens Center is a great opportunity for our employees to give back to the neighborhood and community that has supported us for so many years. We at HK are excited to see kids and their families take advantage of the Trail to learn and be more active.”
Find a Born Learning Trail near you!
