With childhood obesity a growing problem for us in the UK, we need to get more children taking exercise – and walking is a great way to do that. Mytholmroyd Walkers’ Action feels strongly about this issue and has produced a walks booklet especially for children. Entitled “Making Tracks in Mytholmroyd”, it describes six lovely circular walks, each with an illustrated map and lots of fun ideas and games. Every child in Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge has now been given their own booklet, so you might already have your own copy. The walks are easy to follow with picture waymarks showing the way. Each walk has its own character so the waymark signs are easy to spot – a bumble bee for the Bee Boles Walk, for example, and a bluebell for the Woodland Walk.

Walking in the countryside is such a cheap and easy way to get out and enjoy nature whilst getting in some valuable exercise. And getting children into walking can influence their habits in later life, hopefully leading to a healthy, active lifestyle. The feedback from families and children locally has been extremely positive with some evidence that the booklet is encouraging more people to go walking.