Buggy walks
What is a buggy walk?
Quite simply, it’s a semi-organised walk for mums (or others with babies) to bring their wee one along, meet other parents, have a bit of chat and share any hints and tips. Being a new parent can be challenging at the best of times, and many people feel alone and exhausted! The good news is, you’re not alone – and while many groups can’t meet indoors at the moment, buggy walking is safe and free and can start from your doorstep. Buggy walking also gives you a chance to get outdoors, get some exercise and fresh air, and discover your local area. Assuming you stick to the latest guidelines, there is virtually no Covid risk attached.
How do I find a buggy walk?
The best thing is to keep an eye on local social media pages, perhaps the local mums and babies page, you could post a question here, or ask around. If there isn’t one already in the area, why not start one yourself? You could just put out a really simple invitation to others, asking if they’d like to meet for a walk with buggies. Once you think you have a few takers, you could always formalise it, set up a Facebook group and arrange regular days and times to meet up.
Outside the Box have come up with a quick tips guide to help.
Read our buggy walks guide here.
We have also created a short video animation about starting Buggy walks.
What do I need to think about?
If you are joining an organised group, just pack yourself, your baby and buggy, waterproofs, usual changing and feeding stuff, and maybe a snack or even a flask for yourself. If you are organising a walk, you will need to think about where and when, think of a suitable meeting place (just inside a park or at some public benches?), sharing phone numbers as a group and maybe having an emergency phone number.
If the weather is looking dodgy, make sure you have a way to let people know of last-minute change of plans or cancellation (a ‘phone tree’ or closed Facebook group is a good plan). You should plan for around an hour’s walk, somewhere like a park is ideal with wide paths and no traffic. Be welcoming and friendly, some people might be new to the area or lacking confidence. Be alert for anyone who may be struggling to cope or with low mood, if possible try to ask them quietly if they have someone to speak to. Be prepared to go at the pace of the slowest – or allow stragglers to lag behind if they have some company!
Above all, enjoy it!
You can start off small, if the meetups work out you may want to create a more formal organised group with a designated walk leader.
Paths for All have a great Buggy Walks resource page, and guides for finding accessible, stair-free routes.
Check out the Scottish Buggy Club on Facebook if you’re looking for a local group.
When your baby grows older, you will have some new friends to go with to the next phase…and there’s no reason why you can’t start a toddler walk group instead!