As we all head back to school, it is exciting to see more and more children and their families walking and bicycling to school each morning.
Now it is time to celebrate during International Walk to School Month and on Walk and Bike to School Day, October 9! Integrating exercise into everyday life creates a lifelong commitment to physical activity, plus active kids are healthier and do better in school. October is a great month to join one of the thousands of walking school buses or bike trains. You can take your first steps by becoming a champion for active schools and Safe Routes to School programs in your community.
Here are a few great ideas:
- Create or join a walking school bus or bike train. Before you know it your walk or ride will become your favorite morning meeting and these few moments will bring a new joy to your day.
- If you live far away from school or can't walk or bike to school for other reasons, simply add an "at" school activity in the classroom. If you are really adventurous try this new physical activity mad lib that all the kids LOVE!
- Get really fired up by adding a healthy fundraiser that is centered around physical activity - a walk-a-thon, a fun run or month-long physical activity challenge can really get hearts pumping to raise funds to improve your school's wellness efforts and help us have another record-breaking year.
- Share this Active Kids Do Better infographic with your principal or school board as you help this generation get moving so they can reach their greatest potential.
Our thanks:
- In addition, this fall we helped to make your Walk to School Day efforts healthy, fun and nutritious, in partnership with Clif Kid, with more than 1,000 schools around the country enjoying special Walk and Bike School Day kits. Thank you Clif Kid and special thanks to our supporting organizations: President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, Let's Move Active Schools, National PTA and Kaiser Permanente.
- You can learn more about the Safe Routes Partnership and our work to advance policy changes that help increase access to parks, playgrounds, walking paths, bike lanes and other opportunities to be physically active here.
Please direct any media inquiries to Margaux Mennesson, Communication Manager at margaux@saferoutespartnership.org.