If you need some motivation to walk to school, check out my #WalkToSchool2day Challenge / Giveaway below. You could win a $100 gift card from Sport Chek!
This post is sponsored by Sport Chek.
Tips for Walking to School
- School clothes: Comfortable clothes that move with you are best. Choose tees in technical fabrics which wick moisture and prevent overheating. For bottoms, we like leggings/jeggings or loose fitting pants that allow our kids to play outside at recess and sit cross legged on the floor at reading time.
- Outerwear: Carry a windproof/waterproof layer year round. In cooler weather, a fleece midlayer adds warmth without too much bulk. We love the Diadora Hug Me Hoodie’s super soft, thick fleece for every day wear. In winter, wear base layers under clothes, snow pants & jacket, mittens, and a hat. See my story on Keeping Kids Warm in Winter for more information.
- Safety tip: Brightly colored outer wear ensures kids are more visible to drivers. Reflectors on backpacks and jackets are helpful as the days get shorter.
On Miya (left): Firefly Bedard Flannel Shirt, Adidas Tee (Climalite cotton/poly blend), Gravity Girls’ Skinny Jeans, Adidas FortaRun EL K Runners On Emi (right): Diadora Hug Me Full Zip Hoodie, Under Armour heatgear Tee, Gravity Girl’s Jeggings, Nike Girls’ Star Runner Preschool Shoes All items from Sport Chek. |
2. Wear appropriate footwear. Look for lightweight, trim fitting shoes/boots with good traction. Footwear that is clunky or too big poses a tripping hazard. Technical socks wick moisture and prevent blisters.
- Fair weather: Lightweight running shoes are best. Runners offer superior traction and support compared to sneakers. We learned the hard way when my daughter, in smooth soled sneakers, slipped and concussed herself at the playground last year. Get velcro / quick lace shoes until your child can tie laces on her own.
- Rainy days: While some days will call for rubber boots, it is hard to walk fast in them (and it’s easy to trip and fall), so allow extra time, or have your child wear waterproof hiking boots instead.
- Cold weather: Look for winter boots with aggressive lugs and adjustable straps/laces. Bulky boots without straps (e.g. Bogs) will slow them down or fall off in deep snow.
Cool school shoes from Sport Chek. Aren’t they the cutest?! Shown here: Adidas FortaRun EL K Runners at left; Nike Girls’ Star Runner Preschool Shoes at right. |
- Little kids should have little backpacks. The North Face Mini Berkeley 19L pack from Sport Chek is a good option for preschool and kindergarten.
- As kids start bringing home more stuff from school, they’ll need bigger packs. Choose a lightweight backpack with padded shoulder straps for comfort. The Under Armour Girls’ Favorite Backpack from Sport Chek is a great waterproof pack that is 29L. We also like the Adidas Pace and Dakine Prom packs shown below.
- Fill a small water bottle half full; it can be refilled at school.
- Choose lightweight, reuseable food containers for lunch and snacks.
We had to get bigger packs this year (to hold rain gear / snow pants) and are loving the 27 L adidas Pace Backpack (left) & 25 L Dakine Prom Backpack (right) from Sport Chek. |
- Don’t have friends that walk to school? Invite friends/neighbors to join you, or make new friends “on the trail”!
- I Spy, impromptu scavenger hunts (e.g. Can you find a nest, pine cone, and squirrel on our walk to school?), and word games are always fun!
- For more fun ideas, check out my story: The Path to Happy Hikers.
- Does your work schedule conflict with the kids’ school schedule? Implement a “walking school bus” where you and another parent, or roster of parents, take turns walking the kids to school. This way, your kids can walk to school at least twice a week. See www.walkingschoolbus.org/ for more information.
- A few rules: You can only cross at corners or designated crosswalks. The route must be on sidewalks or pathways. No shortcuts through alleys. Avoid abandoned lots and buildings.
- Drawing a map will reinforce the route so kids remember where to go when you’re not there.
- Be aware of your surroundings; do not look at your phone, iPod or gaming device.
- Encourage kids to cross at 4-way stops or designated crosswalks.
- Get them to look left, right, then left again before crossing.
- Check to ensure all vehicles have come to a complete stop before crossing the road.
- It’s also important to listen as speeding cars can seemingly appear out of nowhere.
- Young children should hold an adult’s hand.
#WalkToSchool2day Challenge and Giveaway
Sport Chek and Play Outside Guide would love to see more kids walking to school! Here’s your chance to enter to win a $100 Sport Chek Gift Card! Complete the Rafflecopter form below (Canadian residents only). For FIVE extra entries, post a photo of your kids walking (or biking) to school on Twitter or Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtag #WalkToSchool2day so I can see your entry!
Rules: Must be 18 or older and a resident of Canada. Contest closes Sept 29, 2017 11:59 pm MST. You must have a public Twitter or Instagram account so I can see your photo entries. Winner will be chosen at random via the Rafflecopter app.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Pin me! |
73 comments
getting in some exercise before having to sit all day long
I love the talks we have, the questions and answers about nature, what we see on the way, anything!
I love getting fresh air and exercise
I like that it gives us some calm time before and after school to talk without distractions.
I love walking to school because it gives us some exercise first thing in the morning, and again in the afternoon!
I love the fresh air how it wakes me up!
I love the little bit of time together with my kids
We love walking to school every day. It allows us time to talk before school, and to catch up after school. And really, we have no excuse not to walk because we only have one road to cross, and it's a 5 minute walk.
That's a nice distance!! Not too far but you still get some exercise.
I like getting exercise and spending time with the kids when we walk to school!
Me too!! We have the best chats!
It's a good time for chit chat I find…bonding.
YES!! The best!!! Gotta enjoy every minute they're not in school. 🙂
Love all the tips! I love walking to school because it gives us a chance to get outside and enjoy a bit of nature before being stuck inside a class room!
Thanks!! We enjoy it too and everyone sleeps better from the extra exercise.
#walktoschool2day fresh air and time to chat with friends! 🙂
YES!! The fresh air is almost as good as coffee! 😉
I miss walking to school! We play soccer while we wait for the bus instead these days.
That sounds like fun!!! Hey taking the bus is good too – better for the environment (and you still have to walk to the bus stop, right?).
We love walking to school on cool crisp mornings the fresh air clears your mind and its great exercise, we also love exploring on our way! Its a 10 min walk to school for my kids so we dont get to do it every morning but when the weather is nice we always take advantage of it!
That's great to hear!!! We aim for every day, but sometimes the kids are too slow in the morning. We'll get there!
Though we are close to our school, due to my work schedule we can't always walk to school. However, I do take advantage of those days when we can walk. I like getting the time with my daughters (10 minutes) just to talk while we walk to /from school.
That's the best!! Morning chat time. 🙂
We homeschool so it's a little different for us. We get out each morning though for an hour walk/bike ride/playground trip. I love seeing my kids happy and excited to see new things that they come across.
That's fantastic! Do you find it helps them focus for the rest of the day?
We have only had the privlidge of being able to walk to school for the last year and a half. I treasure our morning walks as my girls and I hold hands and have great conversations. The fresh air and exercise wakes us all up and is a great start to the day. The afternoons are busy, often friends walk with us and the girls will run, find bugs, pick flowers, and jump in every snow pile they pass! We quickly learned that having the right clothing and shoes for the journey is necessary for everyone to have an enjoyable time!!
Sounds like you are making the most of it and are well prepared! 🙂 That's so nice friends join you for the walk too!
I like the exercise.
Me too!! Feels good to get moving first thing in the morning!
Does it have to be walking or can they be biking?
I would count biking too!! 🙂
Walking to school is healthy for both the body & mind. It releases endorphins & gives a feeling of accomplishment before the school day begins! Breathing that morning air & observing the seasonal changes is peaceful & calming.
It's the best way to start the day!! And the autumn leaves are amazing right now!
We walk to and from school every day (we're lucky to live close). I love that even on bad weather days when the kids have to stay indoors for recess and lunch, they've already got a little fresh air… and will get some more on the way home!
That's fantastic! Are they kept indoors often? Our school has a -19 with windchill or lightning policy.
walking is a great way to clear the mind, release any nervousness and get some well needed exercise before school or work.
Agreed! I always feel better after a brisk morning walk!
We love walking to preschool to get some fresh air, get some wiggles out, talk & connect❤️
Aww that sounds so fun!
I love getting fresh air!
Me too! It perks me up in the morning!
Going to start walking home next week. Hoping to maybe incorporate a bike ride home as an option too. We are 1.5 kms from the school so hoping the boys can get used to hiking it as the get older. Thanks for all the great tips!
Good luck!! 🙂 It takes patience in the beginning, but once it becomes a habit, it's really fun!
Comments are closed.