Walking the hallways of Bellerose Avenue Elementary School just got a bit more energetic. Students walking past the main office towards the school’s primary wing are now greeted with a colorful interactive pathway, with options for them to jump, tiptoe or march down the hallway.
The hallway also includes areas for hopscotch, toe to heel walking, wall push exercises and a section to show off their best tree pose.
Elementary Teacher Coordinator Dana Ward said that the pathway was created to nurture the students’ creativity as well as help them develop growth motor skills.
The idea for the interactive hallway was a collaborative effort by the school’s Shared Decision Making committee, whose mission is to “provide students with the tools which will enable them to develop their abilities and interests.”
Principal Lori Beekman said that the pathway offers students a break from the classroom. “It’s a nice way for kids to get their wiggles out,” she said. “They took to it like ducks to water.”