The benefits of walking with children
Walking is a fantastic activity for you and your children. It’s free, you can be spontaneous and it’s a great way to spend quality time together.
It’s never too early to start walking to school; it’s one of the easiest ways to be physically active. Getting children walking from a young age is an investment for life, developing road awareness in time for independent walking as a teenager, and creating good habits for an active life as an adult.
Show me the way
Use our journey planner to show you a variety of ways you can get to school.
Some Milton Keynes Schools have an ActiveTravel to School Map, showing the way you can get to school within a 10 minute or 5 minute walking zone, please download a PDF listed below for more information:
- Abbeys Primary School
- Brooksward School
- Caroline Haslett Primary School
- Chestnuts Primary School
- Christ the Sower Ecumenical Primary School
- Emerson Valley School
- Giles Brook School
- Great Linford Primary School
- Knowles Primary School
- Long Meadow Primary School
- Loughton Manor First School
- Loughton School
- Middleton Primary School
- Milton Keynes Academy
- New Bradwell Primary School
- Olney Middle School
- Oxley Park Academy
- Pepper Hill School
- Portfields Primary School
- Shepherdswell Academy
- St Thomas Aquinas Primary Catholic School
- Stanton School
- Summerfield School
- The Hazeley Academy
- The Premier Academy
- Water Hall School
If the journey is too far to walk or cycle, look out for places to park and stride, to walk the rest of the journey.
Look out for safe places to cross, to make sure you are taking safer routes.
Look out for bus stops and routes that may enable you to get on board to school.
Cycle to school
Cycling is a great way to get around, get some exercise and reduce the amount of time spent stuck in a car, or on the bus.
Top tips for cycling to school
- An adult can always accompany younger children and help older kids get used to their route until they’re ready to go it alone.
- A small backpack is sufficient to carry books and equipment. To carry more, panniers fitted to a rack on the bike are the best solution. See if your child’s school provides lockers.
- Your child should be as visible as possible to other road users and pedestrians. Lights, reflectors, high visibility clothing and confident road positioning are great ways to do this. (A white front light and red rear light are legal requirements when cycling in the dark).
- Although not compulsory, cycle helmets are designed to give protection from a fall and are particularly recommended for young children. Parents should make that choice for their children.
- Set a good example and follow the Highway Code.
School Streets
Three School Streets are being trialled across Milton Keynes. School Streets is an approach to transforming road safety and air quality outside schools, where streets are closed to motor traffic at the start and end of the school day so that pedestrians and cyclists are prioritised at school start and finish times. This helps reduce congestion and air pollution, making it easier and safer to walk or cycle to school and creating a more pleasant environment for everyone. To find out more visit: www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/school-streets
Ways to get involved
Take part in local cycling events, activities and courses or join one of the many regular cycle rides happening in the area plus national campaigns.
