Children in pre-school nurseries across Mid Argyll are gearing up to welcome two special visitors next week – complete with kayak.

Argyll and Bute Council early years worker Lorna Cameron and speech and language therapist Ruth Carruthers will be visiting pre-school nurseries next week to deliver a programme of fun-filled language activities.

The event is part of a nationwide fundraiser called The Chatterbox Challenge, which supports the work of ICAN, the children’s communication charity.

This year’s theme is ‘Kids in Motion’, and Lorna and Ruth will be encouraging the under-5s to get moving, get chatting, and learn rhymes and songs. The theme song is ‘Row, row, row your boat’ which the children are learning ready for a big performance when Lorna  and Ruth arrive.

The pair have created a pack of activities for youngsters and their pre-school workers to use in connection with the theme, and are taking it one step further by taking a flat bottomed kayak with them to the nurseries for the children to play with.

Argyll and Bute’s spokesperson for education and lifelong learning, Councillor Ellen Morton, said: “The successful promotion of early communication skills can have a significant impact on individual children’s achievement and attainment in both primary and secondary school, and thus on their adult lives as well.

“Given the importance of early communication, I’m delighted that these children are being given the chance to benefit from the Chatterbox packs as well as have an initial session with Lorna, Ruth and their kayak, which I’m sure will be very entertaining.”

Ruth Carruthers said: “It’s lovely to have an engaging and fun way to bring activities like these which promote early language skills and help develop good communication to each child in nursery, and we are really looking forward to our visits next week.

“Our hope is that there will be lots of chatter about it when parents come to pick up their children, and that everyone will have fun learning the action songs and rhymes.”

Parents or grandparents who wish to do so can make a donation to the work of ICAN at their child’s nursery, and all money raised will go to fund the vital work ICAN do with the one million children in the UK who struggle with communication.

Argyll and Bute Council and NHS Highland are already working in conjunction with ICAN to provide training for pre-school workers throughout the area