Walk with Wheels Week
Walk with Wheels Week encourages pre-school children, parents and carers to walk, wheel, scoot and cycle, all or part of their journey, each day they attend their early years setting. This week‑long initiative helps families build healthy, active travel habits that can last a lifetime.
Being active on the journey doesn't just help children reach their recommended daily level of physical activity - it also supports physical and mental wellbeing. With extra time to talk, connect and enjoy quality moments together, it is a lovely way to begin and end the day.
Sign up for Walk with Wheels Week 2026
Walk with Wheels Week takes place from Monday 18 May to Friday 22 May 2026 and is open to all Hampshire nurseries, pre-schools, playgroups and childminders. Registration is free and participating settings will receive all the resources they need to promote the challenge and take part in the competitions.
There will be two competitions – one for early years settings and one for children – with fantastic prizes to be won.
Register here for Walk with Wheels Week by Thursday 14 May 2026
If you're not sure whether your setting or child will be able to take part, visit our Walk with Wheels Week supporting information page for ideas how to adapt the challenge to help everyone get involved.
Early years settings’ competition
Organise an active travel event or initiative for your setting during Walk with Wheels Week and you could win a balance bike with helmet and lock, a set of children’s waterproofs, a welly boot rack or an outdoor learning kit.
Choose an activity from our Walk with Wheels Week initiative list, or get creative with an idea of your own. Using the competition entry form (available here from 18 May), tell us about your activity – what you did, how you promoted it and the impact it had on travel to your setting. You will be able to upload photos, screenshots and attachments to show how you promoted and delivered your event or initiative. Please ensure that submitted photos do not include identifiable people.
The competition closes on Friday 5 June 2026. Please read the competition terms and conditions.
Childrens competition
Children can take part in our ‘My Journey Photo Frame’ competition for the chance to win one of our lovely prizes, which encourage outdoor play and exploring nature.
To enter adults should submit a fun, themed photo of their child’s active journey during Walk with Wheels Week, along with a short description of the journey and why it brings joy to their child.
There are five themes, and a prize will be awarded to the winning photo in each category.
- Happy journey – big smiles, joyful moments
- Nature spotters journey – plants, birds, bugs; what will you see?
- Weather‑related journey – sunshine, puddles, wellies, rainbows
- Be bright journey – colourful clothing, bright accessories
- Time together journey – chatting, exploring, playing
The competition entry form will be available here from 18 May 2026.
The competition closes on Friday 5 June 2026. Please read the competition terms and conditions.
Walk with Wheels fun activities and ideas
Why not explore some of these ideas and resources to help children and families learn more about active, safe and sustainable travel?
- Activity sheets for active journeys
Families can make their active journeys even more fun by downloading our activity sheets. Settings could also use them while out on a local walk:
- Walk, Talk and Listen in the Early Years
Our Walk, Talk and Listen in the Early Years resource explores the value of making time to walk, talk and listen. It includes practical ideas, hints and tips to help you get the most out of everyday walks.
- Create a journey trail
Set up a simple trail along walking, wheeling and cycle routes to your setting, or within your outdoor space, for families and children to explore. You could use Basil Bird as part of the trail and as a colouring resource to promote it.
- Active travel and road safety focus week
Plan an active travel and road safety focus week at your setting. The My Journey early years curriculum resources include suggested activities across each learning goal. Parents can also visit the active travel and wellbeing pages for ideas and inspiration. The THINK! website offers lessons and resources to help children learn about the Green Cross Code and other important road safety messages.
- Create a ‘Walk of Fame’
Use chalk, mud or other materials in your outdoor area to create footprints and wheel tracks representing all the children and adults who walk, wheel, scoot or cycle. Talk about how most people travel and ask how they would like to travel.
- Scooting and balance bike practice
If space allows, set up a simple track or route to practise using scooters and balance bikes. Some of the information in our scooting guidelines may be helpful.
- Sustainable travel flash cards
Make or download flash cards to help identify different types of sustainable travel and local features that help us travel this way, such as crossing points, bus stops and road signs.
- Road safety play activities
Use tuff tray activities, role play and small world play with a road safety theme. Mrs Mactivity and Twinkl both offer resources you may wish to use (an account is required).
Story time
Read the online air quality story A Wild Walk to School at your setting or at home.
There are lots of fantastic travel themed books for early years, see our Active and Sustainable Booklist for ideas.
To keep up to date and find out about My Journey events and challenges, subscribe to our My Journey education newsletter and follow us on social media.
