This week is Walk to School Week and we are encouraging all children to travel to school in a more sustainable way.
What are the benefits of Walk to School Week?
Being active and getting some exercise in the morning before arriving at school will help set you up for a positive day; improving focus and concentration, and instilling a sense of physical and mental wellbeing.
Walk to School Week is also designed to extend beyond the week itself, by encouraging healthy habits for life with a focus on exercise, diet and wellbeing.
There are many health benefits to walking:
- Exercise helps develop strong bones and increase muscle strength. It also tones the whole body.
- Walking gets the heart pumping, which can help improve cognitive function for lessons throughout the school day.
- Walking helps to improve mood. Getting outdoors and making the most of natural daylight makes for a positive start to the day.
- When walking to school, children can relax and let off steam before they head into the classroom to learn.
Another great benefit of Walk to School Week is that it reduces the morning traffic. Instead of driving to school in the car and contributing to congestion, carbon emissions, and pollution, you can bypass this route completely by walking. In the long run, we’ll all have cleaner air if there are fewer cars on the road. You can do your part by getting involved with Walk to School Week and leaving your car at home. You’ll help to reduce carbon emissions and enjoy all the benefits of walking at the same time.
How can I get involved in Walk to School Week?
The week-long challenge is not just about walking. Any type of exercise is encouraged, including cycling, riding your scooter or even running.
Although it may not be possible for every child to walk the distance from their house to their school, parents are encouraged to ‘drive and stride,’ parking further than they normally would or getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way.
During the course of the week, teachers will take a daily survey to see how children travelled to school. At the end of the week, our pupil Travel Ambassadors will handout Walk to School badges to those children who travelled sustainability all week.