Congas & treasure hunts for ‘Walk to School’ month

More than 10,000 children and their families are expected to take part in Brighton & Hove’s Walk to School month.

The national campaign is aimed at encouraging, rewarding and celebrating walking and other active ways to travel to school.

Families are being urged to do something different in October. Even if they can’t walk every day, or for the whole journey, families are being told they could walk for one or two days. Or families could get creative and scoot, cycle or even roller blade to school.

Thirty of the city’s primary schools are taking part, many devising their own stunts to get across the message.

Balfour Primary is organising a walk for the entire school, creating a ‘conga line’ down the road.

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

Brighton Steiner is asking nursery school pupils to find a beautiful treasure on their way to school and to place it on a spiral when they arrive, creating a school travel mosaic. A breakfast will also be provided for families while children decorate their wellies.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair 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.”

Around thirty nurseries are taking part in the early years version called ‘Walking and Wheeling’, encouraging families with pre-school children to leave the car at home more often.

More information about walking to school is provided on the council’s website.