Wednesday 6th of October is ‘Walk to School Day’ and with the current fuel crisis this seems to be a perfect time to don the trainers and get the children to walk to school.
Why walk? Well we all know that walking is a great physical activity. It helps children to build strong bones, muscles and joints and reduces the risk of obesity. Mental Health: Regular physical activity is linked to high wellbeing and good mental health.
Pollution: It may contribute to reduced pollution if parents leave their cars at home! It is also a perfect time to start teaching children about road safety.
Here are some tips for parents.
- set an example: stop, look and listen, don’t take risks and avoid using your mobile phone when crossing the road
- bend down to their eye level to get an idea of what they can and can’t see
- find a safe place to cross where you can see easily, ideally at a crossing or away from parked cars and when it’s clear, walk straight across
- talk about the traffic you see on your way and the best places to cross, and ask questions about the speed and size of different vehicles
- in quiet areas, gradually allow your children to practice making decisions about where and when to cross the road