Youngsters draw on walks around Blackpool for inspiration

Schoolchildren and their families are hoping their artistic skills will win them an iPad.

The Gazette is backing a new Get Blackpool Reading initiative to encourage youngsters to get out and about and bring a bit of colour to their daily exercise.

The campaign launched by the National Literacy Trust, working with the Blackpool Opportunity Area and Blackpool Council, is aimed at seven to 11-year-olds.

Organisers have created a series of activities that can be completed at home and as part of families’ outdoor exercise, based on the idea of the popular rainbows drawings children have been putting in windows to support key workers.

Now, they are being asked to download and colour in a seaside scene to be displayed in their windows.

For those who don’t have access to a printer, children can draw their own version.

Parents are asked to take a photo or scan in their children’s entries and share them on social media using the hashtag #GetBlackpoolReading or email [email protected] with their name and age before the closing date of July 17.

All entrants will be submitted to a prize draw to win an iPad Mini. There will also be prizes for those who spot the highest number of seaside scenes or poems in windows while on their daily exercise.

Organisers have already received around 30 entries from youngsters from four different primary schools across the resort - and the entrants so far are aged from three years old to 11.

Older children can take part by writing a poem inspired by the rainbows of hope and displaying them in the window.

For details and to download the picture to colour in, visit www.getblackpoolreading.org.uk

· What the children said: "

"I was really excited to be in a competition, Jemma and my Dad told me that other people would also be putting them up in their houses, so we try and spot them to see if anybody else has done it on our walks. It also gets me excited for all of the things we're going to do after the corony [sic] virus is over." - Oliver, aged eight

"It made me feel good and I really enjoyed doing it.’ – Charlotte, aged eight"‘Happy to make other people happy." – Annabella, 10

"Happy that there’s something happening for families." – Emily, 13

"It made me feel happy." said Nathan, aged six and five years old Jasper added:"It made me feel excited because I could win an iPad."