Walk Safely to School Day on Friday 14 May, asks that we all consider our transport habits and try to incorporate more walking as part of a healthy, active way to get around. And although walking all the way to school isn’t realistic for many of us, it’s quite easy to figure out how you can build a walk into your family’s daily routine.
You can teach your child the healthy habit of walking more by:
- Walking with them the whole way to school
- If you have to drive, park the car a few blocks away from the school and walk the rest of the way.
- If they get the bus, perhaps try and park a little further away when picking them up from their usual stop.
The objectives of National Walk Safely to School Day are:
- To encourage parents and carers to walk to school with primary school age children
- To promote the health benefits of walking and create regular walking habits
- To help children develop vital road crossing skills and ensure children up to the age of 10 years hold an adult's hand when crossing the road
- To reduce car dependency and traffic congestion
- To reduce the level of air pollution created by motor vehicles
- To promote the use of public transport in families
Regular exercise such as walking with your child not only helps them (and you!) beat future chronic health problems, it assists in calming behaviours as well as creating a fun family activity together. It also provides a great opportunity to teach your child safe ways to act around cars, buses, roads and traffic. Remember, Active Kids are Healthy Kids so get planning your own Walk Safely to School Day journey for Friday 14 May 2021!
For more information, visit www.walk.com.au
Make sure your child informs their teacher they walked to school on this day for added affect!