How to get your children to enjoy walking

7/9/2009 10:40:00 PM de la The Telegraph.

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Children will enjoy walking as long as it tickles their imagination.

If you have children you know the excruciating scene. First, the overly cheerful question: “Who wants to go for a nice walk?” Then the bray of merciless laughter. Finally, the slamming of a bedroom door.

But take heart. An ongoing experiment in the Cumbrian town of Barrow-in-Furness should bring hope to parents who want to win the Battle of the Lazy Kids.

In a pilot scheme funded by the Government and carried out by two charities, teams of workers are trying a raft of tricks this summer to cajole children out of the house and onto their feet. It’s a tall order. But the tone is jolly rather than lecturing, and if the scheme succeeds the project may spread nationwide, bringing not just a flush to the cheeks of pallid children – many of whom are worryingly overweight – but a fresh sense of togetherness to many families.

Underlying the Barrow scheme are some basic facts that add a faintly grim undertone to those common squabbles about who wants a Sunday plod and how far you might go. Almost 30 per cent of British children are now classed as overweight or obese, with rising rates of Type 2 diabetes just one of the unpleasant consequences. Around 40 per cent of boys and 60 per cent of girls come nowhere near the hour-a-day exercise levels recommended by doctors.

That’s why walking is considered so important: because it’s cheap, so anyone can do it; and there’s no easier activity, you just open the door and go. It can be fun, too, and that’s the line they’re taking in Barrow.

Workers from the Ramblers, aided by Action for Children, have accepted that no one will ever manage to force kids to adopt a walking habit. But with a bit of trickery, they might just manage to jolly them out the door – an approach that all parents could copy.

“What’s interesting about the Barrow scheme is that it has one aim, and that’s to make walking fun,” says Ruth Somerville of the Ramblers. “From that idea, the rest will follow.”

Above all this means choosing terrain carefully. Children love places with lots to look at and things to clamber over: dunes, trees, streams, beaches. They relish fame, too; famous landmarks and places linked to things that fascinate them – Harry Potter, pop songs, sport. The Cumbrian project is also keeping in mind the fact that children hate straight lines and flat paths. They want drama. Give it to them and they won’t moan.

Other rules include keeping the pace down rather than striding ahead shouting, “Come on!” Also make sure of the small stuff, such as having shoes that fit comfortably, and clothes that aren’t too hot or cold. You want to make them feel really special and excited? Give them a small rucksack to carry. They can use it to hold stuff they find along the way.

The 12-week Barrow experiment, which ends this month, is accompanied by colourful “log books” for children to fill in – things they spot or gather. There are themes, too: fun walks with masks and games; adventure walks with treasure maps. They even plan to hide “treasure” for one hike, and at the risk of spoiling the fun: it’s a teddy bear.

These may sound small points when so much is at stake. Conversely, to some traditionalists it may all sound a bit over the top. But small things delight children, and if they associate joy with walking then the habit is more likely to stick.

That’s the thinking behind a recent book, Adventure Walks for Families by Becky Jones and Clara Lewis, which plunders the whole idea of diversionary tactics. To these mothers, a walk is a dash, a scrabble, a quest. Never ask “Shall we go for a walk?” Say, “Who wants to explore the forest?”

Then keep things light by making up stories, devising silly walks, playing follow-my-leader, hide and seek. Send the children ahead to set an ambush. Anything goes.

You might even use technology. Have them shoot a small film. Maybe they’ll edit it later and want to shoot new bits, which means another walk, except you won’t call it that. Smart parents will avoid the W-word altogether. You’re going on location, right?

OK, it’s trickery, it’s bribery and it’s exhausting for the parents coming up with endless ideas. But in the end, one foot goes in front of the other and instead of whingeing moans coming from the rear you may be delighted to hear cheery laughter from up front. Worth the effort? Definitely.