National Ride2School Day coming up on Friday 13 March and we’re embracing the freaky date with a call for spooky decorations for bikes and riders.
As part of Australia's biggest celebration of active travel, more than 350,000 students are expected to ride, walk, skate or scoot to school.
Thanks to our National Ride2School program reaching around the country we already have hundreds of primary schools registered.
Bicycle Network General Manager of Public Affairs Anthea Hargreaves said that National Ride2School Day is the best time to start going to school the healthy way.
“National Ride2School Day is a fun way for students and parents to experience the joy of riding a bike. There’s no better time to make riding to school part of your routine,” added Ms Hargreaves.
“Riding to school is free and fun, helps you avoid fighting for a car park at the school gate and can also help students perform better in the classroom.”
Participation in National Ride2School Day can be as simple as acknowledging the day and encouraging students to ride, or putting on bike activities, decorations, parades and competitions.
The one thing we ask all schools to do is conduct a “hands-up count” where we ask students how they arrived that morning: on foot, bike, scooter, skateboard, or car.
“National Ride2School Day is a great introduction to the wider program and can be the catalyst to creating a school of healthy, active students,” added Ms Hargreaves.
“Ride2School helps break down the barriers to active travel, with schools in the program reporting more than double the national average of students who ride, walk, scoot and skate to school.”
If your school is not officially listed with the program, then it’s not too late. Encourage your school to register online, and if it does so before 28 February then you will receive a National Ride2School Day pack with stickers, posters and ideas to help you celebrate on the big day.
REGISTER NOW![National Ride2School Day social image](https://bicyclenetwork.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-R2S-Social-1200x628-v1-2.png)
World Bicycle Relief fundraising
The other thing we’re doing this year is encouraging schools to fundraise for World Bicycle Relief, which provides sturdy Buffalo Bicycles for students in need in developing countries.
By providing the bicycles the charity helps students get to school on time and not be too tired to pay attention in class. The alternative is walking long distances, sometimes in the dark, or not going to school at all.
Schools can ask for a gold coin donation on National Ride2School Day, sell cakes, or donate for a free-dress or funky socks day. All donations can be made through World Bicycle Relief at https://ride2school2020.raisely.com/
The school that raises the most money will receive a sports equipment pack.
More than just a day
But of course, Ride2School is more than just a day. Bicycle Network's Ride2School team work all year round to encourage, empower and enable as many young people as possible to break sedentary trends and live a more active and healthier lifestyle.
And the best part of all... it works! Schools that participate in our Ride2School program have an average active travel rate of 46%, more than twice the national average.
You can help too!
In order to normalise healthy habits, we need as many people as possible to set the tone, which is why we’re encouraging everyone to leave the car at home and get active on your way to school, work, uni or to the local shops.
Kids are impressionable, and if we want to show the next generation that getting your daily exercise is not only important but also easily obtainable, we need to lead by example.
Because that's what a lot of us had growing up...
In the 1970s, eight out of ten students rode or walked to school. In the past 40 years this number has dwindled, until today just two out of ten students actively travel to school.
It’s time to reverse this unhealthy trend, and National Ride2School Day is the perfect day to start.
Primary school-aged kids should be getting 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Despite what many parents may think, 4 out of 5 kids are not reaching this recommended limit. Riding, walking, scooting or skating to school is one of the easiest ways kids can get the exercise they need for healthy development.
This month's celebrations are designed to showcase a simple solution to a serious problem – planting the seed for healthier habits in the future.
That is what National Ride2School Day is all about.
LEARN MORE ABOUT RIDE2SCHOOL