Walking blog – it’s my life!
2 minute read:
A welcome message from Brightkidz Fiona.
It’s hard sometimes, when you don’t really have much of a say in the way things work: Get up; brush your teeth; wear your uniform… there aren’t many times in a day when you get to do exactly what you want, the way you want to do it.
Now, for some of us, that’s probably a very good thing. I would not be such a healthy person if I ate chocolate for breakfast or decided to binge-watch Buffy all night. So, having rules and boundaries does work. Mostly.
So, what has this got to do with travel and the environment? Well, the way you get to school every day can have a massive impact on your local area and our world. If every one of the 30 people in your class get dropped off by car, then that’s 30 cars all making a very similar journey. Times that by the number of classes in the school and you will start to see the problem. Add the staff, helpers and visitors and we get a very high number of cars for just your school. If this happens at every school in the local area, then it is understandable why the roads become clogged and we have rising numbers of people with asthma.
Ok, what can we do about it?
Good question!
The first step is to look at the journey you take to school and think whether it is necessary for you to be in the car: How far is it? Does someone else travel the same direction as you, who could give you a lift or walk/ cycle with you? Does your mum/ dad drop you on the way to work? Could they cycle to work and bike with you past the school? Is there an older student or friend with a parent willing to walk, cycle or scoot with you?
There are a lot of options!
At Brightkidz, we are trying to help people make changes to help them and the environment get healthier. Of course, we know that exercise makes our bodies fitter and healthier (very important for all of us!), but did you know that it also improves the health of your mind?! Children who walk or cycle to school reduce the impact of stress, anxiety (worry) and ADHD. This could mean that a simple walk to school can make every part of your day better!
“The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
Now have a go at answering some questions to see how much you can remember…
Questions on Walking Blog – It’s My Life!
- Which two things would Fiona do, if there were no rules?
- What is one reason why more people are suffering from asthma?
- There are a lot of questions in the article.
- BASIC: Find ONE question and try to answer it.
- CHALLENGE: What is the effect of questions on the reader?
- What is Brightkidz trying to do?
- Give 2 benefits of walking/ cycling or scooting to school.
- Find 2 words you did not know or understand when you first read the article. Use a dictionary to find the meanings and write them down
Word –
Meaning –
Word –
Meaning –