Get to school this Friday under your own steam for #WSTSD

Let’s go, walkers! Students across Australia will take steps towards a healthier future by joining National Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD) this Friday 16 May 2025.

This year marks the 26th anniversary of National Walk Safely to School Day.

The annual Pedestrian Council Australia initiative aims to raise awareness of the health, road safety, transport and environmental benefits that regular walking and other active transport can give kids for their long-term wellbeing, not just on 16 May but every day – and especially to and from school.

Apart from the physical benefits, regular walking or similar has a positive impact on kids’ focus and performance in class.

Walk Safely to School Day also encourages care of our environment, reduced car-dependency and encourages parents and carers to walk more too, reducing dangerous traffic jams around schools.

Pedestrian Council of Australia chairman and CEO Harold Scruby said that “until they are 10, children must always hold the hand of an adult when crossing the road”.

WSTSD also promotes healthy eating – if your school isn’t hosting a special healthy breakfast, try having a healthy breakfast at home on the day instead.

“The extremely disturbing childhood obesity* epidemic* continues to affect one in four children at critical levels across Australia,” Mr Scruby said, citing results from the 2017-2018 ABS National Health Survey.

He said the best form of physical activity for all Australians is walking regularly.

“Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day,” he said. “We should encourage them to take a walk before school, during and at end of their day.”

Being active every day, including walking to school, can help make a positive difference for all Australians, especially children and young people, encouraging us all to lead active, healthy lives.

If your school isn’t already involved, ask your parents, carers and friends to join you in walking safely to school this Friday – it’s also a great chance to spend quality time talking and connecting with your loved ones.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• obesity: excessive body fat that increases the risk of serious health problems
• epidemic: an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time

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QUICK QUIZ

1. When is Walk Safely to School Day this year?
2. The anniversary of many years is the initiative celebrating in 2025?
3. Which organisation established and champions #WSTSD?
4. What is the nature of the epidemic affecting one in four Australian children?
5. How many minutes of physical activity do children need each day, according to Mr Scruby?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Follow the five Ws
Write down the key points from this Kids News article in short, succinct sentences:

Who:
What:
When:
Where:
Why:
How:

Possible headline for the article:

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Write down the arguments for and against and points of view presented in this article.

FOR

AGAINST

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Exercise the body and the mind
Exercise is not only important for the body, but it’s a lot of fun as well. Let’s bring more exercise into classroom learning by creating a VCOP PE game.

You can add a VCOP challenge to pretty much any game, and it’s a great way to encourage the teacher to let the class play more games.

Here is an example to get you started, then you create one of your own.

VCOP dodgeball
The normal rules of dodgeball apply. Two teams throw soft balls at each other and if you get hit, you have to sit out. The team who knocks out all the players on the other team, wins.

VCOP challenge: when you get eliminated, collect a mini-whiteboard and a basic clause from the sidelines. Up-level the sentence (make it better) by adding VCOP. When you show the teacher your completed sentence, you can return to the game.

Play for a set amount of time and the team with the most players left on the court wins.

Support: use the “Up-Level It” card set – players have to complete one card from the set instead of completing all VCOP challenges.

What can you come up with?