Walking To School Is In

I love the incentives and fun ways listed here to encourage kids to walk to school. Not only environmentally friendly, but gives them the much needed exercise and thus parents too get in shape.

GREAT idea! With so many overweight and obese children now what a marvelous idea. What a gret way to conserve and use less gas. I wish my children and I lived close enough to walk to their school we live 10 miles away. I love the fact that the schools are encouraging this with prizes, but it could just be done to try and get children to make healthier choices. We don't always have to be motivated with prizes, intrinsic motivation is good, too.

I think this is a great idea as well. I am a critical care nurse and see the results of obesity and diabetes and cannot believe today's statistics on the rise in childhood obesity and diabetes, and heart disease. Yes today children are being diagnosed with heart disease and high cholesterol. As parents we need to give them the opportunity to succeed in life and one of the easiest ways is to keep them healthy. If we take the time to show them that walking to school can be fun, or that it has a benefit think what else we are helping them with....long life!

I think this is a great idea! There are so many parents dropping off kids in our elementary school that every year they have to reinforce safety rules and basic courtesy rules so that no child gets hit by a car. Some of these kids live blocks from the school. Unfortunately my sitter lives too far away from the school for my 10yr to walk there, but he has asked in the past. I like the idea not only for the exercise, but because it gives the child some responsibility. As a mother of 3 (2 teenages & 1 pre-teen), I am concerned about raising a child who will be ready to face the world at 18.

I volunteer with our elementary school's PTA and I an in charge of the annual Walk Your Child To School Day to promote walking. I didn't want it to be a once a year activity so I came up with Walking Wednesdays (walk to school every Wed.) and Fitness Fridays (walk or ride your bike to school). I randomly give out incentives such as chilled flavored water, granola bars, tattoos. reusable Walking is Cool bottles, activity booklets, lollipops. On Walk Your Child To School Day I invited Planet Smoothie to come and serve free samples, plus gave away granola bars and safety items. Sure my kids can walk or bike ride the mile to school, but I go with them. That means I get get 4 miles of biking or walking!

Both of my girls have walked from day one. We live 3 blocks from their elementary school. I do know some parents that would pick up and take their kids to school even though they live as close as we do. Since I work my girls never had the option of not walking. Our school district will not pick up anyone living 2 miles or less from their home school at the elementary level and 3 miles or less from the high school. I don't know that I agree with the incentives, it seems like we have to reward people anymore to get them to do the right thing. The high school that I teach at has a parking problem in the student lot. We often have 3 different cars from one family at the school as everyone thinks that they have to drive to school and can't carpool or ride with a family member. I have even seen students who park farther away then they live, just to be able to say that they drove to school.