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Walk with Wheel Week - support

Whilst the active journey to a child’s early years setting is an ideal time to take part in Walk with Wheels Week, we would like to encourage active travel at other times too and open up additional opportunities for families to engage with the challenge.

The following sections provide ideas to help support settings and their parents and carers:

  • Support for settings and parents/carers of SEND children
  • Using Park and Stride options during Walk with Wheels Week
  • Early years settings in rural locations

 

Support for settings and parents/carers of SEND children

At My Journey Hampshire, we understand that events such as Walk with Wheels Week may need to be adapted to suit the individual requirements of some children and families. For example, some SEND children who need to travel to their setting by car.

Below, we've provided some ideas to help all settings and families participate and have fun during Walk with Wheels Week.

My Journey Photo Frame - children’s competition 

We invite adults to submit a fun photo of their child or children walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling, along with a short description of their journey and what they enjoy about it. Photos can be entered under one our our themed categories:

  • Happy journey
  • Nature spotters journey
  • Weather-related journey
  • Be bright journey
  • Time together journey

If your journey to your setting doesn't provide the opportunity to take a themed photo, here are some alternative ways to take part:

  • Take a photo during another active journey. If there are other opportunities to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle during the week, a photo can be taken on one of those occasions instead.
  • Capture time outdoors. Whether in the garden at home, a local park or another outdoor space, you can take a themed photo and include a short description of the activity and why it brings joy.
  • Setting-led activities. Staff at the early years setting may be able to take a group of children for a walk and wheel around the grounds or local area, giving them a chance to create a themed photo. 

Setting’s competition

Settings have the flexibility to choose or create an activity, event or promotional initiative that can be enjoyed by all staff and children. Activities may relate to walking, wheeling, scooting, cycling, travelling by bus or train and road safety. 

This allows each setting to tailor the experience so that every child can take part comfortably and confidently.

Resources

If you adapt this challenge to meet children’s needs in a different way, we would love to hear from you so we can continue to develop our advice for SEND settings and promote inclusivity within our initiatives. Please do contact us at travelplans@hants.gov.uk to let us know what has worked for your children and what can help enable them to travel actively and sustainably.

 

Using Park and Stride options during Walk with Wheels week

There may be circumstances where families aren’t able to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle for the entire journey to their setting. These families can be encouraged to Park & Stride – park safely and considerately 5 to 10 minutes from the setting and walk, wheel, scoot or cycle the rest of the journey.

With the ability to use active travel for part of the journey, children can still participate in the children’s competition. As well as this, they will benefit from the additional physical activity and experience the walk, wheel, scoot or cycle will provide. Plus, it is a great opportunity to practice road safety skills such as looking for safe places to cross, practicing using a crossing etc.

You may find some of the information on our Guide to creating and promoting a Park and Stride map helpful or if you have a Modeshift STARS travel plan you can create a walking bubble map for your site.

 

 

Settings in rural locations

Hampshire is a diverse county with a range of city, town and village locations. If your setting is in a more rural area you may be concerned about how you can safely promote active travel to your families during Walk with Wheels Week. There are a number of adaptations you could consider to ensure your setting and your children can benefit from focusing on active travel and take part in the competitions.

  • Find a nearby Park & Stride location, possibly a local recreation ground, pub, church and ask if parents and carers could have use of their car park for the week. If this is successful and well supported, you could see if this could be a permanent arrangement.
  • If your setting has outdoor space, set up a route for the children to follow and offer them the choice of walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling (if you have scooter or bikes available).
  • Take the children on a local walk and wheel. Use the opportunity to focus active and sustainable travel and the benefits it has for our health and the local environment. It could also be a good time to learn about road safety, Think! have a range of resources for pre-school children.
  • Take a look at our early years curriculum materials, with suggested planning linked to the Early Learning Goals.