Anyone who travels actively to school with their child can tell you how happy, exhilarated and excited they are.

By walking, wheeling, cycling or scooting to school, they feel more alert and ready to tackle the day.

Ideally, they’ll even have their own space to explore their route, in their own paths or cycle lanes - away from traffic and surrounded by nature, so they can embrace the great outdoors.

When they’re confident enough - and, of course, old enough - they can even look forward to making their active journey to school on their own.

This is the vision we need to turn into a reality for all of our children and young people.

Walking or cycling to school

And they are calling out for this. A recent Play Scotland consultation of children and young people found that they are longing for places where they can connect and have fun.

Simply put, too many children are growing up in an environment that’s not built for them. Too many neighbourhoods across Scotland feel unsafe, inaccessible and unpleasant for play and socialising. In our latest study of cities across Scotland, only one-third of people said they thought the level of safety for children cycling was good.

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And we should never forget that where children benefit, so do communities. Safer streets and improved crossings and recreational areas are beneficial to everyone, and allow people of all ages and abilities to come together.

This is what we’re trying to achieve across the country, and while we still have a long way to go, there are some encouraging signs.

Take St Mary’s Primary School Bathgate, for example. The school is in an extremely busy part of town, surrounded by big retailers, and is located next to a road with lots of passing traffic.

Our charity, Sustrans, joined forces with the St Mary’s parent teacher association and West Lothian Council to create a safe route for walking, wheeling and cycling to the school.

A new widened path now connects National Cycle Route 75 to the school and the wider community. The installation of a new crossing for pedestrians and people with bicycles, as well as two crossing point islands on the carriageway, enables pupils to travel safely and confidently.

It’s crucial that all our infrastructure projects incorporate the needs of young people. To help us achieve this across Scotland, Sustrans and A Place in Childhood - an initiative to help young people participate in important projects - are working on a framework of best practice so local authorities and transport professionals can engage children in the design process.

What schools can do

So, how can schools make it easier for children to walk, wheel and cycle?

A great first step is to ask pupils what changes they’d like to see.

Teachers can use the Big Street Survey, a free resource that gives children a voice. Working both inside and outside of the classroom, pupils explore what they like and dislike about their neighbourhood. They then develop their manifesto, which can be used to lobby decision-makers and elected representatives at national and local level to make their changes happen.

The benefits from walking, wheeling or cycling to school are huge. Many teachers report that pupils who walk or cycle to school are more alert and ready to learn than those who arrive by car. A study in Denmark, for example, found that children who cycle or walk to school demonstrate a measurable increase in concentration that lasts for up to four hours.

Not to mention, it’s fantastic fun and, for many children, can feel much more exciting than travelling by car.

Personally, I always enjoy seeing children laughing and socialising with friends and family while walking, wheeling or cycling to school. By continuing to work together with schools and other partners, we can make this a reality for more children and young people across Scotland.

Karen McGregor is the Scotland director of Sustrans, a charity that aims to make it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle