It’s 8 a.m. and students are lined up in the gymnasium to go outside. Each morning, these students are invited to start the day with a little walk around a path that circles the school’s playground. The children are thrilled to be outside, skipping together with friends and chatting excitedly. It may seem a small thing, but for these students, the habit of starting the day with a little outdoor exercise just may become a lifelong activity.

Several years ago, physical education teacher Barb Siegfried noticed a troubling trend among her students at Fairview Elementary School in Olathe: They were often using their recess time for sedentary activities.

“Kids were swinging, or talking or just sitting around.” Siegfried said, who has taught generations of families over her 31-year career at Fairview. “One particular student caught my eye and then I began to notice just how many of her classmates were also inactive during recess.”

Siegfried and Arvella Speese, Wellness Director for the Olathe School District, talked about the troubling trend and possible remedies. Their idea? Construct a walking trail at the school to encourage physical activity. They envisioned a trail where walkers could enjoy some scenic variety, but would always be visible to school staff.

With seed money already promised by Olathe Medical Center, Siegfried and Speese approached the Sunflower Foundation with a grant request to fund the construction of a 1/5-mile trail. The Sunflower Foundation granted that request and funded five other walking trail requests across the state in 2005. The Fairview Elementary School walking trail was dedicated on October 27 of that year. (To date, Sunflower Foundation has funded 38 walking trails across Kansas.)

The impact on the students was immediate.

“In addition to using the trail for P.E. classes, students began walking during recess and even before school,” said Siegfried. “Students were also coming to school early, just to walk on the trail.”

Seeking to encourage this habit, Siegfried decided to join the students at 8 a.m. every school day, awarding wrist bands based on the number of laps completed. Students in kindergarten through second grade earn prizes once they reach 30 miles, while those in grades four through six do so after 40 miles.

The social aspect is also beneficial, Siegried says. “Doing something fun together is the key. Kids like to be with their friends and run and play while benefitting from the added activity at the beginning of the day.”

Siegfried and the school nurse, who serves as a wellness coordinator, work together to make health programs fun for kids and parents. Fairview holds a basketball camp in the winter, a hockey night and a “walk to school” day. All the activities are intended to be both fun and a way to encourage an active lifestyle now and for years to come.

The Fairview Elementary School sits in the middle of a neighborhood with the playground and walking trail visible and accessible to the area. Rather than a simple oval, the trail forms a boot shaped perimeter around the playground, which makes for a more interesting walk than a simple lap around a traditional track. On weekends, the neighbors are using the walking trail, as well. Siegfried said she knows of several families that routinely walk the paths. Fairview’s Parent Teacher Organization also sponsors an annual walk-a-thon, putting the trail to even greater use.

“A walking trail may seem like a simple thing, but the impact is significant,” said Siegfried. “Students are more active and healthy today and they are developing health habits to carry into adulthood.”