Since school looks different for everyone this year, our annual Winter Walk to School Day event is adapting for different school formats. Whether it’s walking to school for in-person classes or exploring your neighborhood with family, we hope you will get out and enjoy this wonderful, wintry season!
Afterall, this is Minnesota, the land of ice fishing, hockey, cross-country skiing, fat biking, and sledding – why wouldn’t we throw a Walk (and Bike) to School Day party in the middle of the winter? Dig out your hats and gloves, organize your volunteers and get stepping for Winter Walk to School Day, February 3, 2021.
The idea is simple: go for a walk for at least 15 minutes, and don’t let the cold scare you off. Celebrations can start small or include the entire school – just do something!
Click here to get registered for Minnesota’s Winter Walk to School Day and we’ll support your efforts with fun ideas and downloadable materials! (Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we are unable to provide event kits this season.)
Instructions for Winter Walk Day Toolkit (Word)
Social Media Image #1 (JPG)
Social Media Image #2 (JPG)
Social Media Image #3 (JPG)
Social Media Image #4 (JPG)
Social media images (editable) (PPT)
Parent Flyers (PPT)
School Flyers - English / Spanish (PPT)
Winter Walk Day Sample Text (Word)
Walk Zone Postcards (PPT)
Winter Walker Stickers (PDF)
Frequent Winter Walker punch card (PDF)
Each Winter Walk to School Day Minnesota Safe Routes to School asks participating schools to submit stories and photos of their event to compete for the Golden Snow Boot Award.
Submit your event by sending photos and stories to saferoutes.dot@state.mn.us
In 2017, Pilot Knob STEM Magnet School participated in their first Winter Walk to School Day by dropping almost 100% of students at a community center about a mile away from the school. Pilot Knob said they "traveled through parks and trails, crunched through the snow, slipped on some ice and traversed some hills. It was a cold and fairly slow journey, but we enjoyed watching the beautiful sunrise and great community building during our walk.”
Winter has arrived, but that doesn’t mean an end to children walking to school. With the right preparation, walking to school in the winter can be fun and enjoyable! Follow these six helpful tips to encourage students to continue walking to school all winter long: