Walk to School Week 2024

Walk to School Week is an initiative run by Living Streets, a charity which encourages people to get walking in their everyday life. This year’s event runs from 20th-24th May, and will focus on the magic of walking, and how it benefit individuals, communities and the planet.

The stresses of family life can make it so easy to hop in the car in the morning to take the kids to school but often it means you’re starting the day on the back foot and feeling rushed. Walking to school has so many benefits for your kids’ (and your own) physical and mental wellbeing – getting in some fresh air and exercise will set your children up with a positive start to a day in the classroom. If your child’s school is taking part in the official week, they’ll be introduced to a all the different magical beings along the way!

 

Starting off on the right foot

The idea for Walk to School Week is to challenge parents and children to travel in sustainable ways (walk, cycle, or even roller skate perhaps!) every day for a week to help create safer, less polluted and more welcoming streets, making for happy, healthy kids.

If your school is a bit too far to walk to, or you normally take them on the bus, try doing a ‘Park and Stride’ by parking a bit further away from school or getting off the bus a stop or two early and walking the last part – this will still be beneficial for both you and your children.

 

Wearing the right kit

If you’re doing some extra steps with the walk to school, you need to make sure your child’s uniform is fit for purpose. Apart from suitable shoes, which are a must-have, make sure the rest of their uniform, all the way down to their socks, is comfy. 

All of our school garments are designed for the utmost comfort for kids, we include elasticated waistbands on trousers and skirts and they’re all made from high-quality, durable materials. 

 

Safety first

Little kids are often too small to be seen by vehicles, and if you live in a busy urban area, you may have some concerns about walking to school safely. You can enjoy a walk to school in a safe and fun way though, and it’s a great opportunity to teach your kids about and involve them in road safety. Check out this blog we did last year on the subject. 

 

Make it fun

Even if you regularly walk to school, it’s easy to get distracted by the day you face ahead, (or simply trying to avoid tantrums), so try to use the week to make walking to school more fun. If you walk together with your kids’ friends, get their competitive spirits going and turn it into a game – who can spot the most birds, how many blue doors or red cars do they see on the way into school?

It’s also Local History Month in May, so why not try and learn about some of what you see on the way to school. How much do you actually know about your local area? Do you go past some interesting buildings? Through a local park? Try and learn about some of the local landmarks you go past on the way to school, or even take a different route to normal to learn more about where you live.

It’s not always possible to walk to school, but by taking part in the week, or even trying to do one day a week where you walk together to or from school in future, will have a positive impact.