Primary School students across Australia took to the streets today in the fight against childhood obesity.

Walk Safely to School Day encourages children and parents to make walking part of their daily routine.

Dominique Wiehahn reports.

TRANSCRIPT

In the OLDEN DAYS it was normal for children to walk to school.

Now it’s a novelty.

Today’s 12th annual “Walk Safely To School Day” was two lessons in one.

It promotes road safety and regular exercise.

Amanda Stubbs, WSTSD Queensland Organiser: “Australians are fat, and they’re getting fatter and one of the easiest ways we can keep our kids active and healthy is to get them to walk to school.”

It’s about making exercise a regular routine.

Amanda Stubbs, WSTSD Queensland Orgnaiser: “I think we’re actually just trying to get them to put walking in as part of their daily activity, it’s like you don’t think about brushing your teeth or having your breakfast, walking to school we think should be the same.”

It’s the parents who take on the responsibility of teaching the children these lessons.

It may not be an Education Queensland initiative, but there’s no doubt the system supports it. There’s been a fifty per cent increase in Walk Safely to School Day participation since last year.

Students at Fig Tree Pocket State School regularly adopt a healthy approach but today’s walk was a first.

Leanne West, Parent Organiser: “We’re a participant in active school travel programs so every week we actively travel to school, but we haven’t done the Walk Safely to School, but everyone’s just really enjoying it.”

And there’s a reason for that.

Leanne West, Parent Organiser: “We just organised all the kids to wear some crazy socks today and to walk to school and it’s a fun, active way to get to school and of course to do it safely as well.”

This is one lesson these children are happy to learn.

Children: “Lots of fun.”

Dominique Wiehahn, QUT News.