How Reading in the Woods Might Save Us All(Or At Least Help Your Kid Sit Still for 10 Minutes)
- smurphyreading
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
Well, we’ve been hauling logs, hiding scrolls, writing riddles, and brushing pine needles out of our hair for several weeks now. And on Monday, July 7, something we’ve dreamed about for eight years will finally open:
The Enchanted Literacy Trail.
It’s part reading adventure, part storytelling and book-making, part occupational therapy, part sensory integration, part Dungeons & Dragons,
and all heart.
Here’s the idea: instead of battling your child to "sit still and read" this summer—or panicking over how they’re falling behind in writing—we invite you to step outside.
Into the woods.
Onto a trail where literacy is woven into movement, imagination, curiosity, and nature.
Where your child might solve a riddle tucked under a stone, trace a spelling pattern in the dirt, or read a clue that leads them to the next fairy ring.
No timers.
No pressure.
No fluorescent lights buzzing overhead.
Just story, breath, movement, and space.
We created the Enchanted Literacy Trail for the kids we’ve worked with for years: The ones who have ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, and sensory processing challenges.
The ones who are wildly creative, but constantly told they’re “too much” or “too slow.”
The ones who dread reading because it’s always felt like a struggle.
But really, this trail is for all of us.
Because something happens when we step out of the old systems and into the woods. Our expectations soften. Our nervous systems relax.
We breathe deeper.
And finally exhale.
Our kids stop trying to survive the Chromebook or worksheet and start remembering that learning can be joyful.
Reading can be magical.
Their brains are not broken—
they’re brilliant.
We don’t know exactly what will unfold this summer. But here’s what we expect—and hope—with our whole hearts:
We’ll see kids who have been labeled “reluctant readers” suddenly lean in to read a riddle because it unlocks the next part of the story.
We’ll see kids who can’t sit still walk (and maybe even skip?), joyfully, because their bodies are finally being allowed to move.
We’ll see families reconnect over shared wonder—laughing, climbing, reading aloud under trees, without anyone crying over a workbook or Chromebook.
We’ll see healing. Not just academic. Nervous system healing. And families connecting.
We’ll see that when we trust kids—when we give them tools and space and safety—they rise.
We'll see MAGIC.
So if your child struggles with reading… or if you’re tired of the battle and the guilt… or if you're just craving something gentler, truer, more magical this summer—we hope you’ll join us.
The trail opens July 7, 2025.
It’s waiting.
Bring bug spray, an open heart, and maybe a snack
(because learning is hard when you're hangry).
We’ll meet you under the maple tree.
And if you can't make it to Greene County, NY this summer, hold tight....we're working on an online version. Stay tuned!
