VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – International Walk to School Day is Wednesday, October 6. Although there will not be an organized walk to school day event this year, ON THE MOVE encourages students to walk or bike to school every day!
Walking and biking are a great way for kids to get exercise. There are many benefits for mental and physical health for students when they walk or bike to school. The trip to school can be a chance for a kid to just “be a kid” and develop a sense of responsibility and independence.
It also provides time to connect with parents, friends, and neighbors. The U. S. Surgeon General recommends children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day and adults to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day and walking can be a great way to help children and adults meet that goal.
How far is a sensible distance for students to walk or bike to school? Experts from the Safe Routes to School national partnership agree that:
a) Younger elementary students can travel at most ½ mile
b) Older elementary students- 1 mile is reasonable
c) High School students – 1 ½ miles is acceptable
If walking or biking to school is not possible, doing a park and walk is a great option for kids to get active and ready for school. It also helps to reduce the congestion around the drop off area at the school buildings.
Look for a location near the school, ideally 3 blocks away, where either older kids can be dropped off or where parents can park and walk with younger kids.
Some things to keep in mind when mapping out a route:
⦁ Locate a parking spot a few blocks from the school with good walking access to the building. Look for routes with sidewalks and safe crossing areas.
⦁ Make sure you park somewhere that won’t block driveways, mailboxes or fire hydrants.
⦁ When crossing the street with your child, in a crosswalk, you have the right of way as a pedestrian, but it is still important to make sure that cars can see you before entering the crosswalk. This is a good opportunity to provide children with basic safety skills, such as how to choose where to walk and where to cross streets, how to obey crossing guards and be visible to drivers.
⦁ Practice the route on weekends.
⦁ Enjoy the extra time in nature!
Physical activity boosts learning and memory in children! When children get physical activity before class they are more on task and ready to learn.
Walk to School Day is an annual celebration that raises the awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasizes the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concerns for the environment.