Is 25 minutes too long for a reception child to walk to school?

[poppetmum]

I'd welcome views on this. My DS starts school in September in reception. We are thinking of moving, but want to remain within walking distance of the school she will attend. I don't want to be driving every day, I think it's much nicer and better to walk. What do you think is the maximum to expect a child of 4 to walk? Is 25 minutes too much?? (I'm basing this on a walk that's about 15-20 minutes for me). I know my daugher could do this, but am worried it will be too tiring every day, twice a day.

It is doable yes. Not so nice on a very cold or wet day, but not too far if you have the time to do it.

You could consider a bike perhaps - with a tag along or bike seat - for some days too.

I think its a shade too far for every day

We do that length of walk most days. BUt with scooters. And also come snow and rain, the car is too tempting !

consider a scooter.

makes school runs much more fun!

We only live 1 mile away from the school and can get to the school in under 30 mins but the last 10yds are a nightmare as there is no pavement and great big lorries roar by.
I usually cycle up, but only up to collect DD2 from playschool as it finishes at 1pm and it is MUCH quieter and safer than 8.30 or 3.20pm.
Such a pity as it is a nice walk once you get away from the main road.

I think it is fine- if it takes an adult 15 - 20 mins then it is a reasonabvle distance and will keep your child fit and healthy. Children are meant to do an hour's physical exercise every day in addition to any peat school.

Get a good raincoat, boots for rain, big umbrella.

I would say it's OK. When I take dd to school it takes around 20 mins to walk (she is reception). Sometimes when dh takes her she is on the back of his bike, on the bike seat (which she just fits in still).
At the moment dd likes to go to school on her scooter, they seem to be all the rage down our way!

no problem for my kids - the love to walk home when we can - takes long as they look at every stone/insect...

In summer it takes us ages to get back from the after school club, as dd always wants to go to the park!

It's fine - it was for my daughter, at least; we walk a little longer than that to get to school, and she has walked there and back every day right from the beginning. But she had been walking that distance regularly for quite some time already - her nursery was in the same road, and we walked there every day from the age of 3.

Wellies for rainy days ... puddle jumping always gets envious looks from classmates in cars!

It's fine. My dd has been doing that wince she was just turned three. Make sure you've got decent rainwear, and make it a non-negotiable habit. Once you start using the car you'll use it more and more.

Poppetmum, is your daughter used to walking? That can make a huge difference to how tiring she will find it.

If she isn't used to walking, now's the time to start giving her some practise. In dd's class, it was the children who were used to being driven everywhere who struggled to walk, or who were taken to school in pushchairs (some well into Year 1).

when my dd was 3 we walked 10 mins to trainstop, waited 20 mins (sometimes we had to change trains)& then walked 30-40 mins back. She loved the journey & if you have time for them to walk they'll really benefit from all the things they see.

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like it will be fine and may be I should invest in a scooter (and yes, she is already used to walking)

Children being taken to school in pushchairs even in Year 1?

Blimey. I only know of one child in ds's (attached to school) nursery who was still in a pushchair right up until the end of the term before they started reception. And that was only because she was a little monkey who ran off if unrestrained (and was with her Granny who couldn't run very fast).

Unless the children in question have restricted mobility or some form of SN pushchairs at school are quite mad.

Sorry, OP, meant to say we have a 15 minute for me/20 minute for ds walk to school. It's fine.

I quite agree, edam!

Two of dd's closest friends were still using pushchairs into Y1 - they had never walked anywhere, only "walked" to school very infrequently, and wouldn't couldn't walk that far. They lived closer to school than we do.

It was only teasing peer pressure which stopped them.

Why are pushchairs more mad than cars ? Mine walk once they hit reception, but can use a pushchair up until then if they wish. Lots of children who live nearer than us come by car, the school parking and walk would be a lot nicer if they were in pushchairs.

When we lived that far from school with a 6 and 4 (and 1) year old we cycled with them. Obviously that depends on your route, and my dds have always cycled a lot.

You could also consider you cycling with her in a child seat while she's this young.

Now my dds scoot, cycle, skate or walk to school depending on their mood. it's fun.

Well here goes. I have a four year old who started Infant School in January, a 2year old and a 1 year old. In the morning we take the double buggy, the eldest walks to school and the two little ones ride there and back. In the afternoon the double buggy again for the ride their but then the 4 year old and the 2 year old walk home.

We live a shade under 2 miles away and at the top of a massive hill. On a Monday the eldest goes to ballet and we walk from the shcool into town (another mile) and then walk all the way home (3 miles).

My eldest practises her sprints or her favourite dance steps and is never tired, and even in Winter likes the walk. The 2 year old whines all the way there when in the buggy because she wants to walk. We cannot because the journey to school is always time pressured but the journey home is lovely.

We do the same walk on a Sunday for church! Children are capable of much more than we give them credit for. I am not sure what the real nasty winter weather will bring and some days we go in the car because I have burnt the weetabix but it is very doable.

25 mins is a bit hard for a reception child, i reckon..but not not-doable, iyswim.

we have the same journey and in practice, we walk home much more than we walk to school, simply because it sometimes ends up in too much of a rush in the morning now there are 3 nippers...poor excuse i know..

but we never drive right up to the school gates unless its absolutely pouring down...a good compromise that we do is to park a couple of hundred metres away and walk across the railway bridge and in...looking smug as we walk past all the straight to the gaters! hee hee.

stephen99 cannot believe i did not think of that one. Drive to the bottom of the hill and then walk. Everyone will think I am mega fit and I will not look like a squashed tomato for the rest of the morning (also politely told by one parent 'ohh you've got a little colour to your cheeks' - did I mention the hill - the really massive hill, did I mention the double buggy? huh colour in my cheeks!...)

poppetmum scooters are great! You can get one from argos or amazon for a tenner.