Today is International Walk to School Day

Kids in the neighborhood are out on the streets walking or bicycling to school today as part of International Walk to School Day.

As the website says, walking "enhances health of kids, improves air quality and the environment and creates safer routes for walking and bicycling."

Laurelhurst Elementary School students will be walking or biking all month long as part of the Walktober challenge, sponsored by International Walk to School Month and Safe & Active Routes to School.

The students will have a Walktober pledge calendar to keep track of their trips to school. And for bus riders, kids count the walk to the bus stop as their walk to school. And at the end of the month, cool prizes will be handed out when the tracking calendars are turned in.

The Walktober Challenge is funded by the Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Children's Hospital is providing neighborhood walking maps.

International Walk to School Day started in the England in the mid 1990's, and aims to bring children, adults and the surrounding neighborhoods together to create awareness around the need for walkable communities.

"International Walk to School Month gives children, parents, school teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the many benefits of walking. In 2008, millions of walkers from around the world walked to school together for various reasons – all hoping to create communities that are safe places to walk." says the website.