Mid-winter can sometimes feel like a lull in the school year: the winter break feels like a distant memory, March Break is still a ways away, and the ground is still too barren to start your spring planting.
Well, you’re in luck! Active and Safe Routes to School is once again organizing a Winter Walk Day this Wednesday, February 3rd. Winter Walk Day invites students, parents, teachers, and staff to get active, enjoy the fresh air, and reduce their environmental footprints on the trip to and from school.
Your school community could choose to organize a school-wide walking event. For example, each student can track their distance walked and calculate the amount of CO2 emissions saved, which can then feed into a school-wide assembly in which the total number is revealed and then the class with the largest reduction (or higher number of participants) wins an award.
Or, your school might choose to encourage classrooms to hold their own Winter Walk Day activities, such as a Walking School Bus led by a group of parents that follows a designated route to school. For elementary schools, students can brainstorm the day before on how to best bundle up and stay warm!
If walking to school is not feasible, not a worry. Active and Safe Routes to School encourages alternative activities that get students active and outdoors. Whether it’s a classroom walk to a local park, visiting a skating rink at lunchtime, or an outdoor gym class hiking at a nearby conservation area, there are plenty of ways to participate in Winter Walk Day.
If your school would like to participate, but this Wednesday isn’t ideal, consider organizing your own Winter Walk Day on a different date.
Note: Winter Walk Day activities can be claimed in the Environmental Stewardship section of the EcoSchools program.
Resources:
- If you enjoyed your Winter Walk Day and are keen to continue active transportation at your school, sign up for the IWALK/IWHEEL Club, which has resources to use throughout the year.
- Putting together a Walking School Bus activity? Route planning is a key step. Try planning a safe route using Google Maps. If you’re in Peel District, Walk and Roll Peel has a route planning tool specifically for school travel – try it out!
- While dressing warmly may come naturally to some, it’s always a good idea to review what to wear to stay cozy. Here are simple tips to stay warm from the CBC.
- Have a look at our Active Transportation Campaign kit for more ideas on encouraging walking and rolling to school.
Remember to share your activities and photos on Twitter using #walktoschool. We’re looking forward to seeing how you got walking or rolling!
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