When you think that there are over 350,000 students across the nation who will ride, walk, scoot and skate to school on Friday March 25, it makes you want to join in!
Ride2School is a nationwide program delivered by Bicycle Network, designed to support schools to encourage and enable more students to get physically active on their journey to school.
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It's one of the best days on the school calendar according to parent, Ben Mitchell.
"Two years ago, my son Jonathon was just learning to ride his bike, and it was a pretty wobbly effort. Then we had homeschooling because of COVID last year, so we just kept practicing. But this year he's ready. We're both looking forward to the day, and he has lined up a couple of friends to ride with," Ben added.
The problem
Over the past 40 years the number of children who are physically active everyday has significantly dropped. In the 1970s, eight out of ten students rode or walked to school but today that number has dropped to just two out of ten.
The solution
Students who ride or walk to school contribute to their minimum physical activity level of 60 minutes per day. They are also more focused and ready to learn compared to those who are driven.
More than two-thirds of Australian school students are driven to school, even though their parents understand the importance of riding and walking shown in new research.
The Heart Foundation's LiveLighter program found that parents choose to drive their children to school because they feel there is too much traffic on the roads, time is too tight and distances are too far for them to ride or walk.
This is despite the fact that children need 60 minutes of exercise every day to be healthy, and that getting exercise outside makes children happier and better learners.
"I'm hoping Jonathon makes this Ride2School day a permanent part of the school week, and his friends do so as well," Ben adds.
While some of the concerns from parents are valid, they are avoidable - riding and walking to school can be easy and it is the simplest way to achieve that daily hour of exercise.
A 10- or 15-minute walk from the car to school would given children an opportunity to learn about their environment and gain the health benefits of physical activity including improving their concentration and building self confidence.
Want to get your children riding?
Dawn Rasmussen
I love the writing game. It gets me bouncing out of bed, and dragging my feet at night when I have to finish up for the day. I started at The Bendigo Advertiser as the Creative Services Coordinator, and after many changes, I have ended up with a great 12 years with ACM (love that long service leave too as my secret gardens need tending sometimes). Working from home is tops and I hope I have many more productive times ahead.
I love the writing game. It gets me bouncing out of bed, and dragging my feet at night when I have to finish up for the day. I started at The Bendigo Advertiser as the Creative Services Coordinator, and after many changes, I have ended up with a great 12 years with ACM (love that long service leave too as my secret gardens need tending sometimes). Working from home is tops and I hope I have many more productive times ahead.
