Take part in 'Walk to School' month, with congas and treasure hunts

The national campaign during October aims to encourage, reward and celebrate walking and other active ways to travel to school.

Even if families can’t walk every day, they are urged to do something different in October, such as walking for one or two days when they usually drive. Or they might walk the last 10 minutes of their journey, or scoot or cycle.

Thirty Brighton and Hove primary schools are involved, many devising stunts to get the message across.

Balfour Primary is organising a whole school walk, creating a 'conga line' down the road.

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary will also be encouraging all the pupils and their families to join in a walk from their local park, led by Piers the Meerkat, the road safety mascot.

St Bartholomew’s CE Primary will organise a prize draw to reward the children who have made a special effort to travel sustainability for five consecutive days.

Brighton Steiner will ask their nursery children to find a beautiful treasure on their way to school and when they arrive, to place it on a spiral, creating a school travel mosaic. The school will also provide breakfast for families while the children decorate their wellies.

Parents and carers are encouraged to find out how to join in with their local school. Some schools will run a Walk to School Week in the first fortnight of October.

Cllr Gill Mitchell, chairman of the council’s environment committee, said: “Getting out of the car is good for children’s health and good for the environment. Walking or cycling is a great habit to get into and will hold children in good stead for the rest of their lives.”

To find out more, click here.

There is also an early years version called Walking and Wheeling, encouraging families with pre-school children to leave the car at home more often. Around 30 nurseries are taking part.

Find out more, here.