Making the Journey to School a Healthier and More Engaging Experience

Let’s face it; rallying the troops every morning for the school run can often feel like a bit of a slog. The participants aren’t necessarily always willing, and there’s always something that goes wrong. Not only that, but those mornings before school do not always set our kids up for the best day possible – especially where diet and exercise is concerned.

But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. After a lot of trial and error, I’m ready to announce that I've finally got the journey to school down to an exact science that properly prepares my kids for a busy day ahead. So, without further ado, let’s jump into my guide on how you can make the journey to school a healthier and more engaging experience.

Healthier Trips to School

Pre-journey Fuel

We can all agree that breakfast is, in fact, the most important meal of the day. This is especially true for our growing youngsters, who often wake up feeling extra tired because, unlike adults, their bodies are busy burning calories while they’re growing during sleep time.

So do them a favour and give them a good nutritious breakfast that sets them up properly every day. Some healthy cereals can balance the convenience factor, and a good bowl of oats can give them slow-release carbohydrates that will keep them energised until lunch time. If there are any sensitive tummies in your household, then kefir yogurts might also be worth trying – they’re full of live cultures that help to balance out the gut microbiome.

Once the kids have been properly fed, then they’ll be ready to kickstart their journey to school.

The Value of an Active School Journey

We all have busy schedules, so it’s only natural for a lot of us to opt for the quickest, most efficient transport system available. But the reality is that that just isn’t what’s best for kids. Squeezing some exercise into the daily school commute is nothing but positive for children’s health.

It doesn’t strictly matter which option you choose to go for; walking and cycling are both highly beneficial for their health as moving regularly is great for their mental health, weight management, growth and development. If you absolutely need to drive, then try parking a 5-10 minute walk from the front gate. This early exercise also makes them more alert and improves brain function shortly after waking up, which sets them up better for the school day rather nicely.

On top of that, I just think that, as a parent, it’s great to have some time with my children baked into the start of the day. I can talk to them about school, make them feel better by telling them about my day, and continue to get to know them more as people, which deepens our relationship. These early morning conversations tend to feel a bit more laid back than dinner table discussions as well.

When Travel Time Becomes Learning Time

While I’m not a militant helicopter parent, I still enjoy finding ways to keep my kids on their toes. That’s why I like to spark discussions on our walks to school. I’ll ask them about road signs, different types of trees and flowers, cars, the weather, you name it.

It’s not so much a quiz, as it is just a couple of easy lessons that we can talk about first thing in the morning. It’s also a great way of getting to know your little people, as you can find out more of their likes and dislikes.

It’s also just an easy social interaction that can help them develop their social skills, language and speaking skills, and critical thinking. If your kids are really young, then they might enjoy things like spotting different shapes, numbers, and letters. Older children (in my experience) are more engaged during a discussion that’s more topical, like local issues, current events, and their favourite subjects at school.

Encouraging Independence

When your children grow and get a little bit older (in the blink of an eye, usually), the right school journey will, little by little, help foster independence. They’ll learn road safety skills, memorise local landmarks, and maybe even make the trip with friends of their own.

It’ll probably get to the point where they plan their own route and sort out their own transport (like catching a bus or tram). These small responsibilities and practical skills soon stack together and help children grow into more capable, independent people.

Closing Off

It’s easy to just see the trip to school as an obligatory A to B and nothing more – plenty of people out there do. But to me, it’s become so much more than that over the years. It’s a great way to keep my kids healthy, to get to know them more, and to poke their brains with a discussion or quick challenge. After a certain point, I used the school commute as a way of entrusting them with more responsibility, which helped them grow into more independent, capable people.

By viewing the school commute as an opportunity for all of these things, I transformed what might’ve otherwise been a boring first chapter of every day into an experience that’s actually enriching.