Do a practice walk: Travel the route together on the weekend and time how long it takes. You might want to add a few extra minutes for last minute delays like lost pencil cases.
Get a walking buddy: If your child’s school pal lives en route, consider picking them up along the way.
Drop and walk: If you don’t have time for the entire route, park a few blocks from the school and walk. It will add some activity and minimize traffic around the school.
Set a goal: The kids can check the distance on Google Maps and write down how much they’ve travelled.
Set a goal to match the distance of the length of Ontario’s Welland Canal (43 km) or the distance to Grandma’s house. Once they’ve reached their goal, consider a fun reward.
Get riding: If your child would rather ride a bike, go for it, as long as she’s a good enough rider of course.
Try a group effort: Get to know other families in the neighbourhood. Take turns hosting the morning drop-off and walking the kids to school. Sharing the walking commitment with a few other parents can make it easier to manage.
Enlist the school: Talk to your principal and parent council about encouraging active transportation.
Adapted from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
For more information on what parents can do to encourage active school transportation read this School Travel Planning Introduction for Parents