International Walk to School Month:
Each year, a month is designated as International Walk to School Month by the International Walk to School organization. October is the month for 2008. Parents and teachers plan activities to promote walking to school. The IWalktoSchool.org web site has links to resources to use to plan activities, and to the web sites of countries which have their own programs.KidsWalk-to-School Program:
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) promotes KidsWalk-to-School with ideas and resources. The program is free to download and has step-by-step instructions on how to start now to bring together your school, your neighbors, and the community to organize a safe walk-to-school program. The KidsWalk-to-School Program works even for schools that are distant enough from your home to require driving or busing. The key is to include some walking or biking in part of that journey.Childhood Obesity and Inactivity:
Children today are seeing the double jeopardy of being both inactive and overweight, both contributing to increased health risks throughout their lives. According to the CDC, the percent of overweight children aged 6 to 11 years has more than doubled in the past 30 years. The US Surgeon General's Physical Activity and Health Report finds that only 19% of high school students get the recommended amount of physical activity. Introducing daily walking and biking can help get them on the road to more activity.Make it Fun:
The program guidebooks describe how to organize a kick-off, special events, and to make walking to school fun with games, journals and projects. Gear up your kids with various shoes and outerwear so they will look forward to walking to school in any type of weather. Get them a pedometer and see if they can log 10,000 steps per day.Walking Gear for Kids
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