Getting to school just got more fun!

What do funky feet, a skate board, gumboot and buttons mean for walking to school?

An initiative to get 5-13 year-old school children active to and from school has been taken up in a joint project by the Road Safety Co-ordinator at Thames-Coromandel District Council, Project Energize and Te Korowai Hauora O Hauraki with resources supplied by Feet First.

The idea, originated in Tauranga by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, involves participants' having their names recorded on a wall chart and starting off with a foot key ring. After 25 walks have been recorded, a cool attachable button is added to the key ring. As the numbers increase, more buttons can be collected at 50 and 75, an awesome skate board can be collected at 100; more buttons at 125, 150 and 175 and a wicked gumboot at 200. The gumboot encourages children to walk, bike or scooter in all weather - rain or shine - effectively getting 'Kids on Feet'.

Road Safety Co-ordinator Ingrid Le Fevre says the Schools have really embraced the idea of getting their pupils walking and motivated to be active. Some of the teachers have even started their own programme.

Four Thames Schools have taken up the challenge and Hauraki schools are following suit. Feet and buttons are given out at assemblies and can attach to school bags.

Some children that live on busy roads are being dropped at friend's houses so they can walk to school and parents are finding that they have more time in the mornings because children are motivated to get their numbers up for the buttons.