Walk to School is back in 2020

After a challenging and unpredictable year, we are delighted to support the Victorian Government’s “Walk to School” program, which is back and running throughout term four.

Walking, riding or scooting to school is great for children, families, health, traffic and the environment. Active travel to school encourages lifelong healthy habits, helps make the streets and drop-off zones around the school safer and less congested, and helps connect kids to their local neighbourhood.

About half of Australian primary school-aged children live within two kilometres of their school, but in a typical week, 71 per cent of children do not walk or ride to or from school at all.

With a little less traffic on the roads, more people on the footpath and fewer events in the diary, now’s the time to build confidence in active travel with kids.

Tips to encourage and support your family to walk, ride or scoot to school:

  • Teach road safety: With less traffic on the roads, now is a great time to teach your kids about road safety. This can build their confidence around walking/scooting/riding.
  • Learn new protocols: Your school may have different drop off times and locations for different year levels to help with physical distancing.
  • Take it in turns: Many other parents in your school community will be working from home right now, so why not take it in turns to walk/ride/scoot/skate to school with the kids?
  • Part way is OK! If the walk to school is too far, you can park a few blocks from the school and walk the rest of the way.
  • Build independence slowly: Let your child do things gradually. Start by parking the car a few blocks from school and let them walk the rest of the way by themselves or arrange for them to walk with friends or neighbours.
  • Make a plan: Teach your child strategies for when things potentially go wrong, such as getting lost, being approached by a stranger, or getting injured.
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