Walk to school with a parent or guardian. Find one of your parents and ask them if they can walk you to school. They can help you find a good walking route. This way you can spend some time with them before you go to school and they go to work. If you are between four and six years of age, walk to school with one of your parents or a guardian.[3] X Research source If you are between seven and nine years of age, you may feel more independent but you should still walk to school with a parent or guardian.[4] X Research source If you are ten years or older, you may be able to walk to school on your own. Start by walking the route with your parents or a guardian and then ask them if you can walk the route on your own.[5] X Research source You might ask your parents: “Can you walk me to school tomorrow morning? I want to learn the route to school so I can eventually walk to school on my own. Maybe we can walk together tomorrow?” Walk to school with a neighborhood friend and their parents.[6] X Research source If your parents are busy in the morning, it might be best to walk to school with one of your neighborhood friends and their parents. Make sure you have permission from your

parents to walk to school with them. Join a walking school bus. A walking school bus is a group of friends, neighbors and guardians walking to school together. You will be walking to school with a small or large group of people, so you can talk to your friends or neighbors while walking to school. Ask your parents if there is a walking school bus in your neighborhood that you can join.[7] X Research source You might tell your parents: “I heard about a walking school bus that leaves at eight o'clock in the morning from the church. Can I join it?” Walk to school on your own or with a friend. If you are ten years or older and are very familiar with your route to school, your parents might let you walk to school on your own or with a friend.[8] X Research source Ask your parents if you can walk to school on your own. You might say, “I have been walking the same route to school for three years. I know the route very well now. The crossing guard knows me and I always look both ways before crossing the street. Can I walk to school on my own now?” Find a safe route.[9] X Research source A safe walking route has sidewalks all the way to the school. The route should also have great

visibility at intersections. This means that you can easily see cars coming at the intersection. Your route should also be free of hazards such as major construction projects. Preferably, the route also has crossing guards at important intersections. Choose roads with less traffic and lower speed limits. Crossing guards help you get across the street safely.[10] X Research source If there are no sidewalks, you should find roads with large shoulders and walk against oncoming traffic on the shoulder of the road. If your regular route has a construction project, you should find an alternative route. Learn your route. Walk your route with a parent or guardian and ask them for tips on how to cross intersections. Once you have walked your route many times, you will be more comfortable with walking to school. Find safe spots on the way to school. Safe spots are restaurants, stores, libraries, police stations, and your parents' friends' houses.[11] X Research source If you get scared of something or someone, you can go to one of these safe spots for help. Find a walking route that is free of unsafe spaces. You should have a walking route that avoids isolated places like empty parking lots

or deserted houses.[12] X Research source Take a water bottle with you. You never know when you are going to get thirsty, so remember to bring your water bottle. Choose a water bottle that does not leak.[13] X Research source Choose a water bottle that is free of BPA and other chemicals.[14] X Research source Choose an insulated water bottle to keep your water at a nice temperature.[15] X Research source Wear appropriate clothing and shoes. Remember to wear comfortable walking shoes and colored clothing. Colorful clothing will help make you visible to oncoming traffic. In the fall and winter, remember to wear warm clothing. You want to make sure you are warm while walking to school.[16] X Research source Choose a safe place to cross an intersection. A safe crossing has fewer cars and a clear view of traffic. Ideally, a safe crossing also has a crossing guard.[17] X Research source Look to see if there is a crossing guard. If there is a crossing guard, they will tell you when to cross the street. Look both ways to check for oncoming traffic. Before you cross the street, look in both directions to make sure there are no cars coming. Once you have determined that there are no cars

coming, you can cross the intersection. If there is a crossing guard, follow their instructions on when to cross the street.[18] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Maintain awareness of the traffic around you. While you are walking to school, you should keep your head up and know where the traffic is at all times.[19] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Avoid interacting with suspicious strangers.[20] X Research source A stranger is someone you don't know. Strangers are neither good nor bad but they are people you do not know. You should be careful around strangers who look suspicious or dangerous and try to avoid them by walking on the other side of the street. If a stranger approaches you and makes you feel uncomfortable, you should say “no,” and then run away from them. You should also yell loudly as you are running away. Then, find an adult and tell them what happened right away. This is called “No, Go, Yell, Tell.”

If you are far from home or are in danger, don't hesitate to phone emergency services right away. Find a police officer, firefighter or a teacher. If you get lost on the way to school, find a teacher, firefighter or a police officer. Police officers and firefighters have distinctive uniforms. You should be able to recognize a teacher from your school. Make sure you know where the fire and police stations are located on your walk to school, so you can go for help. Ask your parents to give you a cell phone with the police phone number programmed into the phone, so you can call for help if necessary.