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Get moving this International Walk to School Month

Living Streets’ director of policy and communications tells us how children across the world can enjoy walking, wheeling, cycling or scooting to school this International Walk to School Month.

19th October 2023

by Tanya Braun
Director of policy and communications, Living Streets

This October, pupils around the globe are walking to school to celebrate International Walk to School Month – and Living Streets is encouraging British families to do the same. 

For many of us, walking is an easy and inexpensive way to keep active and spend time with friends and family, but less than half of primary school children walk to school in England today, compared with 70% in the 1970s.  

And with notable increases in air pollution, rising childhood inactivity and post-lockdown poor mental health, encouraging children to be more active and ditching the school run in the car for more sustainable modes of transport is more important than ever. 

Group of children walking to school

We all saw the benefits to our health and air quality when we walked more and drove less. Quieter streets are safer, cleaner and healthier streets.  

And, where possible, we should walk, wheel or cycle our short journeys. 

Walking to school could also help alleviate some of the rising living costs we’re all facing, while we reap the health, social and environmental benefits of moving more. 

It isn’t just good for our health: walking to school prepares children for a day of learning and lets them enjoy time with friends or family.  

It also means fewer cars around the school gates, better air quality, less congestion and less road danger.  

If you don’t live close to your school, you can still benefit from fresh air and exercise by parking a little further away and walking the rest of the journey. This will still help reduce cars, congestion and air pollution around the school gates. 
 

Walking to school could also help alleviate some of the rising living costs we’re all facing, while we reap the health, social and environmental benefits of moving more.

Here in the UK, hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren take part in WOW – the walk to school challenge from Living Streets – which sees pupils record how they get to school using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker.  

WOW schools typically see an increase in walking rates of 23%, with a 30% reduction in cars driving to the school gates.

Walking to school helps contribute to the 60 active minutes a day recommended by health experts to keep children healthy and happy.

Being active helps prevent long-term health conditions such as certain cancers, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 

The potential mental health benefits of walking to school from a young age are also significant, with an active lifestyle able to improve mental wellbeing and reduce stress, anxiety and depression. 

Encouraging children to move is a great way to balance out screentime, and regular walks can improve sleep cycles as well as the quality of their sleep.  

And, in the long-term, walking from a young age creates healthy habits for life, promotes independence and freedom, and teaches road awareness. 

October is the perfect month to give walking to school a go, so why not swap the school run for a school walk this International Walk to School Month and celebrate the many benefits of this easy activity? 
 

Find out more

Whether you're looking for ways for your school to get involved or for free fun activities to do with your children on the journey to school, visit our website - we’ve got you covered. 

Living Streets

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