Physical activity was the forefront of the fourth graders' brisk outdoor walk Friday afternoon.

It was the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Program's first Winter Walk to School Day at Minot Forest Elementary school. The state program focuses on encouraging children and their families to walk or bike to school, and teaches families the safest ways to do so.

Representatives from the program passed along to the students some winter walking tips, which included wearing bright or reflective clothing; dressing in layers to stay warm; using the sneak and peek method around snowbanks to cross the road safely; and walking like a penguin to keep their balance on slippery surfaces.

With the choice between “Walk to School” and “Walk at School,” Principal Joan Seamans decided the latter would be the better option. She said road conditions were unpredictable and families live too far apart to successfully complete the “Walk to School.”

All of the students began at the front of the school, where they travelled around the oval circle in the front and then toward the back of the school, where they circled back and then into the gymnasium.

The third graders of Minot Forest completed the walk earlier in the day while the fourth graders finished the walk within fifteen minutes in the afternoon.