Walk to School Day: Warm Hats and Safer Walks – Mocofeed

Walk to School Day was celebrated across the five participating schools in the City’s Safe Routes to School Program: Takoma Park Elementary School, Piney Branch Elementary School, Rolling Terrace Elementary School, East Silver Spring Elementary School, and Takoma Park Middle School. 

To help make the day safer for the additional walkers, City police coordinated a morning escort. The support from crossing guards and police helped support students and families participating in the event to be more visible and safe.

All five schools received Be Safe, Be Seen reflectors and bags with lights, while the elementary schools also received pedestrian safety activity books. 

All schools reported a good turnout. At East Silver Spring Elementary School, the enthusiasm extended to students’ knowledge of safe walking practices. The school reported strong engagement from families, along with enthusiastic safety patrols who helped run the table with safety materials. Students shared thoughtful pedestrian safety tips, including these: 

“Look left and right before crossing.” 

“Don’t walk alone;”

“Walk with a parent.” 

“Listen to the crossing guard.”

One particularly creative suggestion stood out: “Stop. Look. Raise your hand when crossing.”  

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These reminders reinforce an important message of Walk to School Day: safe walking habits, visibility, and community support all play a role in helping children get to and from school safely. 

A community effort

As the days grow darker and colder, a community-wide effort in Takoma Park is helping children stay warm and be more visible as they walk to school. As part of Walk to School Day at Takoma Park Elementary School, hats with reflective yarn were distributed to students. These hats were the result of a pilot of the Safe Routes to School Warm and Visible hat project, a creative collaboration that brought together City staff, residents, and volunteers to make walking to school safer and more inviting.

The idea grew out of a conversation among City staff about the City’s previous KinderFiber project. With Walk to School Day marking the start of the colder, darker months, they saw an opportunity to combine community creativity with pedestrian safety. The result: 235 handmade hats featuring reflective yarn to help children stay warm and be more visible during their walks.

Seven City staff members, 30 resident volunteers, and members of the Monday morning knitting group, who meet in the City’s Senior Lounge, came together to make the hats. Reflective yarn was incorporated into the bodies of some hats, while other creations featured reflective details sewn on or added to playful pom-poms and curly toppers. 

The project also offered an opportunity for the Safe Routes to School Coordinator Kaysi-Ann Webley and Planning Intern Khairun Fahmi to learn to knit and crochet and contribute handmade creations of their own.

Volunteers were enthusiastic about being part of the effort. One shared that they were “very glad to participate in this project.”

After Walk to School Day, others sent congratulations and expressed appreciation for being involved, with one volunteer writing, “It is a pleasure to have contributed. I appreciated the pictures.” Some volunteers have already expressed interest in participating again next year. 

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The project demonstrates how a simple idea can bring neighbors together around a shared goal: helping children travel to school safely and comfortably.

Keeping the community connection going

The hat project is not finished yet. The remaining hats will be distributed to students at Rolling Terrace Elementary School during Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in November, extending the warmth and visibility initiative into the coming weeks.

The City’s Monday morning knitting group also offers a welcoming opportunity for anyone interested in learning to knit or crochet, connecting with others and contributing to future community projects.

Whether you are just learning these skills or more experienced, this is a reminder that you don’t have to be an expert to get started. 

From the volunteers who made each hat to the school staff, safety patrols, police, crossing guards, and families who helped make Walk to School Day a success, this initiative shows what a community can accomplish together.

With 235 hats created and more opportunities to participate ahead, Takoma Park’s Safe Routes Warm and Visible Hat project is doing more than preparing children for colder weather. It is helping build a community where walking to school feels safer, more welcoming and a little warmer for everyone.

Would you like to participate in the project? Sign up to volunteer.

Please get in touch with the Safe Routes to School Coordinator to participate in this community effort by completing the volunteer form at bit.ly/TP-Safe-Routes-hats or scanning the QR code.