Twenty-two children, aged from six months to five years, made the journey from the centre to St James' Parish Primary School where they completed laps of the oval.

Centre director Trina Crowe said the walkathon had several purposes and was the first in what she hoped would become an annual event.

"It was part of our Mothers Day celebration in line with the Mothers Day Classic that used to be held in Ballarat, this was our mini version. All the children were given a pledge sheet to raise money via donation or sponsorship for how many laps they walked ... with money raised to be donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation," Ms Crowe said.

"But it also got our children out in the community and we talked about road safety, how we cross the road, how we hold hands and look for cars and walking in an area that's close to their homes and close to our child care centre.

"It's all part of learning about our community and getting out there and having some fun."

IN OTHER NEWS

While the youngest participants were pushed in prams, some of the four and five year old children managed five laps of the 300m oval, plus the walk to and from the school and a play on the playground.

Ms Crowe said even most of the toddlers managed two laps of the oval.

An active morning made for a quiet afternoon at the new centre, which opened in September and has around 40 children attending.

Our team of local journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the Ballarat community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: