Since Easter my boys have been walking to school on their own.  They scoot, bike, walk or run regardless of the weather, but I know that this isn’t always the case for all children.

So I have been working with Regatta, the great outdoors clothing company to encourage parents to ditch the car and get walking to school by making it an adventure.   Their recent research shows that 58% of British children pester their parents to walk to school more, believing that it allows them to spend more quality time with friends and family, whilst getting some well needed fresh air and having an adventure along the way!

To help mums, dads, grandmas and granddads across the country get the most out of their walk to school, they have created a handy downloadable Adventure Guide, with some quirky ideas and inspiration on how to turn the school run into an exciting adventure.

They adventure guide is pack full of ways to make the walk with your kids more fun, so do take a look.

Often, it isnt the kids that struggle to find the time to make a walk, as parents we are busy juggling everything and sometimes it is quicker and easier to drive, so I want to share with you some reasons that walking to school is great for ALL the family and also ways to make it easier for you.

Why it is good to walk to school

1. Walking gives you higher energy levels and reduces stress
2. Children who walk to school arrive in a calmer frame of mind, ready to cope with the work of the day
3. Walking cuts down on traffic congestion and pollution, therefore supporting the environment
4. Walking prevents osteoporosis and can reduce the risk of heart disease
5. If the walk is too far them try parking a reasonable distance from the school where it is easier to park and walk the rest of the way
6. No more trying to find a parking space near the school
7. Walking is a great daily exercise not only for your kids but for you too

How to make walking to school a priority

Before my boys walked to school on their own I walked with them.  Yes it would have been quicker to use the car, however,  when you factored in parking and the stress of nagging them it really was much calmer when we walked.

Planning was the key for me, by making sure that everything was ready the night before and once I realised how much the boys enjoyed walking to school it was easy to make sure it was something that we continued with.  They got so much from that walk from road safety to learning about the seasons, but I got so much dedicated time with them too.

Make sure that you have the right clothing.  We all have hats, gloves, scarfs for the colder weather and we have learned that waterproof boots are essential in the wet weather.  Regatta sent us all three in one coats and I have to say they are fantastic, during the warmer months the waterproof is great and as it gets colder then you can add the fleece lining and they become super warm.

Over the winter when it snows it is almost impossible for me to drive the boys to school, so walking becomes the only  option!

 If you do walk to school then please do share your adventure with #shareyouradventure with Regatta on twitter or facebook

Disclosure: We were all sent 3 in 1 coat’s, hats, gloves and boots from Regatta.  I have to say we are really impressed with the coats due to their 3 in 1 nature.  The boys have worn them without their inner fleece to and from school and also worn the fleeces separately too and now this week has become colder they have worn them together.  In fact we all love our cold weather kit, it is perfect for getting out and about and making the most of the daylight as a family.