Star Walkers is a fun way to promote walking to school whilst teaching children to recognise constellations.
How Does it Work?
Each child is given a picture of a constellation with spaces for the stars that make up that constellation.
Each time they walk to school they earn a star sticker to sticker to start building their constellation.
They use the numbers to join the stars so they can see the pattern.
Once they have completed their constellation card they can take it home and ask a parent or carer to take them out after dark to see if they can find their constellation.
They will then be given a new constellation to work towards.
Why this is a Good Idea
Children like to collect and complete, so they will be motivated to earn these stickers which means they’ll be walking more to do so.
It links active travel to other learning.
It's a low cost activity.
It can be extended by creating more and detailed charts.
Can help promote the ‘bright at night’ message too.
Challenges
Although it will be the parents/carers responsibility to take pupils out at night to see their stars, you can encourage this by covering more about constellations in the classroom or in a science club.
Setting Up Star Walkers
Download our A4 size printable sheet which includes Cassiopeia (5 stars), The Plough (7 stars), Cepheus (5 stars) and Cygnus (7 stars).
You will need 1cm wide star shape shiny stickers (one per child who walks, per day). These can be purchased from us in sheets of 105.
When a pupil has completed all four constellations, you could give them a special reward such as our star shape reflectors.
Print one sheet of four constellation pictures for each pupil taking part.
Cut each sheet along the dotted lines and give each pupil their first picture; Cassiopeia.
Each pupil writes their name on their sheet and puts it in their bookbag ready for their next walk to school.
Older pupils can help by giving out star stickers to those pupils who walk to school when they arrive at school.
Inform parents about the initiative in advance so they can make it easier and encourage their children to walk to school.
You can try the scheme with one class or year at a time or for the whole school.
It takes a minimum of 24 days to complete all four constellations, i.e., just under 5 school weeks.