Walking School Buses
We have heard it on the news - there is a growing epidemic of obesity among American children. There are numerous reasons for this problem. One of the reasons is lack of exercise. American children spend more time in front of a television than doing physical activity.
I watch my children through the day - every morning they run out to the bus stop and then sit on the ground and wait for the bus to arrive. They then get on the bus and ride the mile (or so) to their school. My children would be fully capable of walking that distance to school - if the roads weren’t filled with inattentive drivers and possible dangerous citizens.
What is a mother to do? I recently read of a project in Europe called “walking school buses.” These school buses are constructed of a parent on one end, children walking in the middle, and another parent walking on the other end (as a conductor). It sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? A walking school bus can be as simple as a parent walking a group of students to school everyday or as complicated as walking among routes with timetables and children joining the bus at set locations. Walking to school can be fun, use less gasoline, and increase activity - all better for our bodies and the environment.
How could you start? It would be simple enough to join a few families in your immediate area and discuss this option - it may be once a week (or more often) and walk with those few children in your neighborhood. It is always possible to grow. Test the route and check for safety issues that might arrive and a timeframe for walking with the children.
Using Walkability has a walkability checklist: http://www.walktoschool.org/eventideas/checklists.cfm