The Walking School Bus is a fun way to spend some quality time with your kids while getting in shape at the same time.

By Emmanuel Vincent

Shape up Somerville along with Somerville Public Schools hosted the “The Walking School Bus” last week at two elementary schools. On Tuesday, the event was led to Capuano School and The Kennedy School on Friday.

The purpose of this is to promote having kids walk to school with parents or volunteers. There were several reasons for why the “The Walking School Bus” was put in place, one being assisting with keeping youth in shape.

Shape Up insists that kids will benefit from a health standpoint. “They do better in school and have less behavioral issues,” says David Hudson, director of Shape Up. This will assist in the proper educational development of the youth and lead them on a right path to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Another reason for the “Walking School Bus” is to reduce the pollutio in the air as a result of the use of automobiles. Global warming is a serious issue that can destroy the earth as we know it. An initiative such as the “Walking School Bus” helps with preserving the earth for the future.

Finally, the safety of the kids was taken into consideration. The streets are congested with drivers, increasing the chances of accidents occurring. Unfortunately, a lot of parents do not do their part to help keep the children safe. “Parents believe that driving their children to school is better than walking, but research says not,” claims David Hudson. If these parents were to make an effort to encourage their children to walk to school, they would be decreasing the chance of them getting injured from the result of an accident.

At minimum, Shape Up is asking that that if parents should drive their children to school they should park two blocks away from the school. From there, the children should walk to school. This will not only help with their health, but also it will help them get a sense of independence.