We’re loving October, but the funny weather doesn’t help with the school run does it? It’s getting colder, wetter, slipperier and windier (basically add an ‘er’ on the end of it at your there!). Which can be a tad off putting, especially for the morning walks to school. As October is international walk to school month, it can’t help to have a few fun tricks up your sleeve to get everyone moving. Here are my 8 ways to make walking to school more fun in October.
I know this sounds obvious, but you’ll be surprised how easy it is to let this one slide. Lightweight raincoats are super easy to wear and to stash in a school bag when not being used. But. They definitely don’t’ keep you warm walking to and from school as it gets chillier. And, it often does get chillier all of a sudden doesn’t it? If yours are anything like mine, the protests will be there to switch the lightweight raincoat out of their school wardrobe. However, there’s nothing stopping you from adding a more substantial and suitable coat IN. So, when they open the front door and freeze ever so slightly before making it onto the front step, you can be there to whip away the raincoat and offer a winter warmer to keep them happy for the walk to school.
On a dull rainy day, nothing puts a smile on my face more than seeing someone with a beautiful, strikingly bright umbrella. The funkier the design, the better I say! Try ditching the hoods and instead surprise everyone with a brightly coloured umbrella of their own for the rainy days. Think character prints, patterns and rainbow colours! Yes, it may increase the chances of accidentally poking a stranger on the school run, but it’s totally worth the risk.
Fed up of being ‘shouty mum’ screaming ‘watch the blooming puddles’ at the top of your voice to and from school? Simple. Get wellies. Most schools don’t mind littles wearing wellies to school and storing them in the cloakroom. I wouldn’t ever encourage full-out puddle jumping on the way to school, but it takes the worry out of them being in wet shoes all day after an accidental ‘opps – was that a puddle?’ moment. As for puddle jumping after school… now that’s a whole different ball game and something to look forward to. Enjoy!
Create your own autumn bingo cards to tick off on the walk to or from school. For older children, you could add in simple prizes for the winners such as choosing the weekend family movie, or deciding what the next baking project could be.
Even if you don’t have anything in mind for them, collecting conkers is still so much fun isn’t it! Bring little bags with you so the little ones can fill till their hearts content. If you head straight off to work after morning drop off, this ones a better activity for home time, or you’ll end up carting conkers about with you all day.
Little ones love to collect ‘stuff’ from the floor don’t they! A stick will be stickman and a leaf could be ‘leafy’… the possibilities are endless. There are so many craft projects out there that do involve natures treasures, so how about making a point of deliberately collecting a whole heap of leaves and sticks on the walk to or from school. When you all get back, they can help you lay everything out to air-dry ready for some after school fun.
As Halloween draws nearer, little ones can keep a close eye out for all those spooktacular dressed houses on the walk to and from school. Look out of pumpkins, twinkly lights and ghost bunting. If you feel inspired, you could follow suit with an after school Halloween decorations make-fest.
Setting a challenge is always a sure-fire way of getting little ones to forget that they are actually on their way to school. Walking. Make sure the gloves are on and set a challenge of finding and collecting as many leaves in as many different colours as possible. Bag the finds up, and continue later for the walk home if they still fancy it. Leave the leaf finds out to dry after school. Then, pass the paper and glue and get them to make a leaf rainbow. Winner is the one with the most different colours!
WILD is now out in Spanish!
WILD – Our debut children’s picture book
Dad blogger Ross Good from The Stented Papa is the official storyteller for WILD!
Happy book birthday WILD!
Walking in autumn is wonderful when it’s dry. Very wet here today.
It’s wet here too x
These are fab ideas and love the idea of collecting things to encourage kids to walk. Poppy still aska for carries quite a bit and she’s just too heavy so this might be a good idea!!
Thank you! They seem to forget about the walk when their hands are busy 🙂
I wish we could walk kids to school but it is a 4 mile drive. No way we would make it in time for the classes to start. But your tips are relevant for any autumn walk!
We haven’t got too far to walk to school but these are some lovely ideas. I like wrapping up all warm when it gets colder.
I love all of the colourful leaves and the conkers. We come home with pockets full. The rain isn’t great but if you are prepared and have warm coats and umbrellas it really does make it quite lovely.
I used to hate the school run and now my girls are older and don’t need me I actually miss it!
Great advice. I used to be that mum screaming watch the blooming puddles. lol
I love when it gets a bit colder and you can snuggle up in warmer clothes!
I love walking. And walking in school is very exciting everyday when i was a student. And this Idea is exactly for me to teach on my nieces. So they can enjoy walking thru school. Thanks !
We always walk to school, but it’s only a 3 minute walk so we are very lucky. On the downside, it’s too short to play Autumn bingo or do anything else much fun along the way.
I love the fact that you walk to school helps the environment and keeps the family fit. I hear you on the wellies x
Treasure what you have – I remember hating school runs all too often and writing a post a little like this a few years ago. Then my daughter was badly bullied and we had to take her out out school and home educate her and her brother. Life changed radically at that point and although there are joys there are challenges too. Autumn is lovely – as you say it is about being prepared and enjoying such a colourful season – Autumn bingo sounds fab! #DreamTeam
I love the school run in Autumn! As long as it’s not too wet it’s such a beautiful time of years. I still get excited about conkers too – even if I just put them around the house to try and keep spiders away! #DreamTeam
here’s to hoping that the conkers actually work x
I miss the school run, but not often 🙂
You sound very prepared and always handy to remmeber the brolly X #dreamteam
Being able to walk to school was my number one priority when choosing a school. I love the idea of autumn bingo. #dreamteam
I think we should (re-)learn that walking and cycling is great and can be fun, instead of driving, silly school runs and the like. Great suggestions here 🙂
So many wonderful tings falling in nature in autumn to make a walk more fun. Not needing the umbrella helps though! #DreamTeam
Lovely stuff Annette … our teenies would die sooner than walk with us to school … as it should be, I guess! #DreamTeam
I desperately need to get my daughter an umbrella and some wellies! I also love the idea of collecting stuff for craft projects (or just because!) … I definitely do enough of that sort of stuff with my daughter. #DreamTeam
I wish we lived close enough to walk to school. What a great way to spend some time together in the morning #dreamteam
These are lovely ideas. We’re usually (by which I mean always!) in a bit of a rush in the morning, but I think we can definitely try some of these on the walk home after school. #dreamteam
Great suggestions Annette! It was such a beautiful day here yesterday that I brought my girls out collecting conkers and they had a ball. It was such a simple activity but such an enjoyable one. I love walking outside with them in this weather, it is so gorgeous on sunny days. Let’s just not talk about the rainy, wet ones! #dreamteam
Where we currently live is just too far for them to walk and I miss walking everyday, it’s so good for everyone as well. Lovely ideas to make the walk more entertaining #dreamteam
Some good ideas here Annette. I need all the help I can get with the school run #DreamTeam
Thanks Kirsty- every little bit helps with the school run
I love the rain boot idea. No kid should have to be forced to walk around puddles – they were meant to be jumped into! #DreamTeam
Thanks Heather! It’s hard to resist those puddles
This is such a lovely idea! We don’t walk to or from school anymore but did for many years, so I know how miserable it can be in the wet! #DreamTeam
Thank you