Fairfax County students learn traffic rules on school playground

The useful part

Keeping kids safe as they walk, bike or ride a scooter to school is something every parent thinks about, and in Fairfax County, one school is teaching kids the rules of the road in their playground. Bailey's Upper Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia calls it a "traffic garden." "We know how to stop and then slow down and keep going," Noah, a student, told News4. From bike lanes, to roundabouts, to yield signs, to the direction of travel and just a plain good time, this is invaluable traffic knowledge.

How it works

• Principal Holly Dowling said she worked with students to come up with this idea.
• "It's really cool we have the arrows to tell us where we go," said a student named Sophia.
• "I like learning, but it's also really fun going around," said Esai, another student.
• Bailey's Upper Elementary School is a converted office building, and that means limited outdoor play space.

What to take from it

Jake Boltersdorf, the physical education teacher at the school, said not every student is going to be able to go out there right away and start riding a scooter on the track — they have to pass a test first. "A written test first that they can take about traffic safety and the rules of the road and pedestrian safety. Then if they can pass that test, then they'll do a driving test and then they can get their junior drivers license," Boltersdorf said.

Details worth keeping

"You learn a lot when you're out here," said another student named Archie.