Walk to School Week
National Walk to School Week puts its best foot forward from Monday until Friday 26th May and a whopping 107 of Warwickshire’s schools are this year set to take part in promoting the healthier way of getting to school.
An estimated 30,000 Warwickshire children are hoping to join in by walking the whole or part of the way to school.
Many schools are also involved in the “How many steps are on your road?” challenge.
This is an interactive and visual way for the children to record their walking efforts during Walk to School Week. It involves children putting a brightly coloured shoe on a road display if they walk to school. Many children will also receive diaries to record what they see on the way to school and a sticker as a reward for walking.
Laura Vesty, Sustainable Travel Officer for Warwickshire County Council said: “Nowadays children spend much of their time in a car or in front of the TV or computer. Walking to school offers a safe way of introducing children to the world outside. Many children are now afraid to go outside and this is often because they haven’t had enough experience of walking in their local area.”
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environmental Services, said: “Walking your child to school at least once a week can significantly increase their self confidence and gives them essential road safety awareness skills. Walking to school also allows children to spend quality time with their parents or friends and enjoy the sights and sounds of the stimulating world around them.”