Remember the “good old days” when we all walked to school? Okay, maybe we took the bus – but our parents and grandparents probably walked to school. And it didn’t hurt them to get that exercise every day.

So – if your kids live within a mile of their school, why not have them walk?

Now, we know it’s a different world. There’s a lot more traffic, and there are definitely dangers out there we don’t want our kids anywhere near. But what about a group walk? With adult chaperones (you see where this might be going for you, right?)?

In a town we know, the Walking School Bus is a very successful community fitness program. Retired folks have taken on most of the escorting, getting to know the kids in their neighborhood, and allowing the kids to get to know some of “those old people” who live nearby. The not-a-bus starts at the farthest point from the school where adults wait for the first kids to gather. As they walk toward the school, and past more homes, other kids join in. It’s kind of like a neighborhood carpool – without the car.

There’s safety in numbers. There are adults present to manage intersections. There’s community building. And there’s fitness. (And a way to get the wiggles out each morning and afternoon!)

This entry was posted on Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 9:04 am and is filed under Exercise and fitness, Family friendly activities, food, tips, Fitness Friday, Healthy Kids. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.