We recently launched the “Step into Spring. Ready, Set, Win!” competition and we mention that participants have to use the NJ Walking School Bus App to organize walks. Some people may wonder what is a Walking School Bus and why would you need a bus to organize a walk to school?
Photo: kavalenkau/Shutterstock.com
Well, a Walking School Bus is not really a bus. It is a parent led and organized group of children that walk to school together. It is a great way to get children to walk to school, and it can be as small as two families taking turns to walk their children to school. There is also a variation for children and parents that bike to school, and it is called a bicycle train.
How can you start a Walking School Bus? You can start by inviting families that live nearby and walk as often as you like, it could be once a week, twice a week, or every day. Or using our NJ Walking School Bus App you can join existing groups or create new groups and participate in our contest. Winners will be announced in June! Details about the contest are available here.
How does a Walking School Bus help? It helps children get the recommended daily amount of activity, and it helps parents who lead the group get their exercise too. Children get to socialize with their friends, get to school feeling energized and ready to learn.
A Walking School Bus also helps the community by reducing air pollution and having fewer cars on the road.
If you are interested in starting a Walking School Bus but you are not sure how, what routes you could take, let us know and we will help you get started.
And don’t forget to share your story; you could be featured on our blog.