This May is National Walking Month in the UK and it’s the perfect time to get out and stretch your legs. It’s also a great opportunity to encourage physical activity and take time in nature with your class.
Did you know that most people walk at a speed of 3.1 miles per hour? Or that, on average, people walk 65, 000 miles in their lifetime? That’s the equivalent of walking three times around the globe! Walking is great for physical and mental health. It not only increases blood flow, and improves balance and coordination, but also boosts creativity, mood, and energy. It’s also positive for the environment, and replacing even small car journeys with walking, where possible, can cut hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. We should know as our Executive Dog, Ludo, demands to be walked several times a day!
We appreciate it’s not practical for everyone to get outside but some fun activities you could try are:
Making a scavenger hunt: Create a list of plants, stones, birds, dinosaurs (location dependent) and insects to look out for on your walk. Don’t forget it is Insect Week 20th to 26th June.
Taking pictures along the way: Pick a theme (from different shaped clouds to feathers) and take some snaps.
Taking in the trash: If it’s practical, incorporate a litter pick in your local area into your walk.
Drawing your route: When you’re back in the classroom, ask students to draw the route you took.
Mixing in some maths: Have a discussion about how everyone in the class gets to school and use the results to make tally charts or bar graphs of the data.
National Walking Month is organised by Living Streets, a charity aiming to make walking accessible for everyone. You can visit the Living Streets website to learn more about National Walking Month and find resources and information https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/
We’ve also got plenty of stickers to help your activities, from garden birds to our ‘well done’ bee stickers. Plus, throughout May, you can also get a free pack of minibeast well done stickers when you spend £7.50. Take a stroll over to our website to have a look at these stickers and more.
