Buggy Buddies is an activity-based initiative that aims to get children under five out of the car and spending more time enjoying and learning about the outdoors.
The scheme, part of Hertfordshire's 0-7 Partnership Pilot, is targeted at early years practitioners and parents, with the help of Hertfordshire's School Travel Team, which devises travel plans for schools to encourage children and their families to be more active.
Anne Coe, senior early years practitioner at Squirrels Day Nursery at Oaktree Children's Centre in Welwyn Garden City, where the scheme was piloted last summer, said, 'The children really enjoyed taking part in the activities and it made us think outside the box and take the children to different places that we wouldn't normally consider visiting.'
Buggie Buddies is centred around a family of six bugs - Luna the Ladybird, Webster the Spider, Pipo the Ant, Baxter the Bee, Breeze the Butterfly and Poncho the Caterpillar. Each bug has its own unique character and each one highlights activities that are linked to a different learning outcome for early years practitioners and parents to use with children on a journey.
Anyone who registers for the scheme will receive a resource pack including cuddly toy bugs, travel charts, practitioner and parent activity cards with activities for children of different ages, a log book, stickers and certificates to reward children for taking part.
Parents will also be encouraged to borrow the resources and use them with their children.
Before introducing the scheme, practitioners will be required to collect data on how parents travel to their setting. This will be reviewed again during Walk to School Week in October.
