August 25, 2009

• Plan the route. Many communities and schools sponsor Safe Routes to School programs and group rides. You can also talk to other parents and kids that bike to school to find the safest route for your child.
• Brush up on cycling skills. Some schools or communities offer classes on cycling skills for kids. While you're at it, you may want to refresh your own safe-riding skills.
• Ride behind your child. For young children who need to be shadowed when biking, ride behind them so you can watch what they’re doing and shout out tips about what's safe and what's risky.
• Help your child learn in context. When kids are first learning a new route to school, expect sudden stops or turns as they figure it out. Remind them that their actions have effects on other traffic, including you. Repeating messages like these when your kid is in the moment will help them remember the important lessons.

Find more safe-cycling tips at KIWI’s sister site, MyHealthySchool.com. Want to make your kid’s back-to-school routine green? Visit kiwimagonline.com/backtoschool.

- Marygrace Taylor

So teachers Micki Josi and Coquille Houshour went on a mission to encourage school recycling, garnering enough local support to have the NYC school regulations re-written. Recycling committees were formed and a recycling coordinator was appointed for every school. Now, recycling is as commonplace as homework and recess for New York’s schools.

- M.T.

- M.T.

Forget brown bags—there are plenty of earth-friendly options when it comes to packing school lunch. First, choose reusable containers over things like plastic wrap, baggies, or paper sacks (this goes for beverages, too: Nix juice boxes or plastic bottles in favor of a reusable one). Further, when a meal needs utensils, opt for real forks, knives, and spoons instead of their disposable counterparts. And pick a reusable lunch box rather than paper bags—let your kid pick hers out so she’ll love carrying it. Find more green back-to-school tips at kiwimagonline.com/backtoschool.

- M.T.