Walk to School (campaign)

It asks parents, pupils and teachers to think about their journey to school and the many benefits of making it on foot. The campaign comprises two awareness events – Walk to School Week in May and Walk to School Month in October – and a year-round walking promotion scheme called WoW (Walk Once a Week). For all of these, Living Streets produces a new set of resources (posters, leaflets, wall charts, banners) each year around a particular theme.

About 50% of children don’t walk to school regularly and more and more pupils are being driven to school in a car. This trend is contributing to reduced physical activity and increased childhood obesity, urban congestion and air pollution.

Living Streets campaigns to encourage more children to walk to school and each year more than two million primary school aged children take part in one of its walk to school activities.

International Walk to School Month takes place across the world in October each year.

WoW stands for Walk Once a Week. It is a scheme that encourages regular walking by rewarding children with collectable metal badges, designed by children in a national badge competition.