Travel Smart Week takes place from 19 to 23 October 2026 and invites schools, pupils and families across Derbyshire to explore active and sustainable travel through the world of art and creativity.
Inspired by the SMILERS Ways to Wellbeing, this year's theme, The Art of Travel Smart, encourages children to discover how walking, wheeling, cycling, scooting, using the bus, car sharing or Park and Stride can benefit their health, wellbeing and the environment.
Using art, design, photography and illustration as inspiration, each day links a different way to wellbeing with a creative activity that celebrates smarter, healthier school journeys.
Across the week, pupils are encouraged to:
- Stay Connected on Monday by exploring healthy relationships with people, pets and nature, and creating artwork inspired by artist L.S. Lowry and their journey to school
- Move More on Tuesday by celebrating active travel through creative calligrams that show how they like to travel to school
- Investigate Interesting Views on Wonder Wednesday by discovering new interests, exploring local landscapes and buildings, and taking inspiration from artist Lucy Pittaway's outdoor themes
- Look and Listen on Thursday by using their senses to notice the world around them and designing road safety signs inspired by renowned road sign designer Margaret Calvert
- Eat Well on a Fruit-Fuelled Friday by learning about healthy eating and creating imaginative travel-themed artwork using fruit, vegetables or everyday objects inspired by artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Schools are encouraged to celebrate creativity throughout the week by creating a Travel Smart Art Post-It Note Gallery showcasing favourite artists, designers, photographers, sculptors and illustrators.
Parents and carers can share children's Travel Smart creations on the Travel Smart Derbyshire Facebook page using #TravelSmartArt.
As well as encouraging active and sustainable travel, Travel Smart Week promotes safer journeys to and from school. Children and families are encouraged to follow road safety advice and make safe travel choices whenever they walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or travel by car.
Travel Smart Week is supported by the Public Health Grant and aims to:
- encourage active and sustainable travel to school
- improve children's health and wellbeing
- reduce traffic congestion around schools
- improve local air quality
- increase awareness of road safety
- inspire creative ways to think about everyday journeys
By combining creativity, wellbeing and sustainable travel, The Art of Travel Smart Week 2026 aims to help children discover that their journey to school can be active, imaginative, healthy and fun.