Benefits of Walking to School

Want Your Child to do Better at School? Walk.

Looking back, I’m not sure my mother enjoyed it. But I loved it.

On snowy Winter mornings I was allowed to wear my wellington boots on the way to school.

I suppose it was about a mile-and-a-half each way. I’m sure it rained a lot, but I don’t remember being uncomfortable in the weather, I just remember the fun of the snowy walk.

The school is long gone; it’s a housing estate now.

And walking to school is no longer as common as it used to be. That’s a shame, because there are massive benefits for children who walk (or cycle) to school.

(Of course, if you live 10 miles away from the school, walking isn’t practical!)

More Driving

In the UK, the percentage of children being driven to school has doubled in the last 20 years and many of those journeys are less than 2 miles.  It’s a similar story in many other countries.

It’s Dangerous!

The main reason cited for driving children to school instead of letting them walk is the danger.

And that’s absolutely understandable.

There are very real safety concerns.

Luckily, there are some clever ways of overcoming these problems.

But first, let’s look at the benefits.

Benefits of Walking to School

1. Better academic performance – children who are physically active on the way to school burn off some of their excess energy, and are more able to settle down and focus well in lessons
2. Children who walk or cycle to school suffer less from diabetes and obesity
3. Walking to school encourages a higher level of physical activity throughout the rest of the day
4. Secondary or high school students have fewer road accidents if their parents walked with them to primary school
5. Parents save money on fuel and wear and tear on their cars by not doing a school run
6. There’s less traffic congestion – and less car pollution – if fewer parents drive their children to school. It’s very green and eco friendly.

There’s more!

Greater Independence

Interestingly, some children today have less independence than their parents did, and this can negatively impact their social development.

• Being driven to school offers fewer opportunities to interact with the neighbourhood and other children.
• Walking to school offers opportunities to make decisions independently, learn from mistakes and gain the confidence that comes with success.
• Some children feel less anxiety about being at school when they know how to get home; it’s much harder to learn that route from the perspective of a car.
• Children will learn to love their town even more if they get to know it on foot.
• Most teenagers, like all of us, need time to themselves – walking home can be a great time to think, relax, and mull over their day
• There is concern that children who spend all their travel time in motor vehicles will properly master fundamental pedestrian and bicycling skills.  Plus, what kind of drivers will they become due to their lack of experience negotiating traffic as walkers or bicyclists?

There are also concerns about the level of pollution that children are exposed to sitting inside cars in congested or slow-moving traffic.  Walking may offer a route which is quiet or traffic-free, and walking through green spaces such as parks can make you feel calmer and happier.

Overcoming The Problems of Walking to School

Fortunately, there is now much greater awareness of the need to make walking to school both easier and safer.

An option that I particularly like is the Walking School Bus.  It’s a really simple concept: a group of children walking to school with one or more adult volunteers.  It can be

• 2 families taking turns walking their children to school
• A formal route with meeting points, a timetable and a regularly rotated schedule of trained volunteers
• Or anything in between!

Providing adult supervision can help reduce safety and security concerns. Join a walking school bus in your area, or start one yourself!

In addition, many ideas and initiatives have been tried and tested – find out more about:

• School travel plans
• Road safety training
• Safe routes to school
• Park and Stride
• Walk to School Week, and Walk to School Month
• Hi-visibility clothing

Find the combination that works best for you and your family.

A good site for further resources is walking to school.

October is International Walk to School Month – but it’s good any time of year!

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Editor’s Note:- this article has been updated with more recent information