Want to get your kids outside, have more exercise, and lower your carbon footprint? Try biking and walking places with your kids with these five ways to help them love non-car transportation. 

“You said we were walking! Noooooooooooo!” my four-year-old yelled as we tried to get in the car. Oops. I may have mentioned that we would be walking to the library instead of driving.

While it can be inconvenient on days when we’re running late, I do love that my son loves walking and biking places. Active transportation gets kids outside, keeps them moving, builds relationships with neighbors, minimizes greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, and increases kids’ independence.

While our society advertises a minivan as the ultimate family vehicle, it’s actually possible to shift trips away from driving. One of my friends with four kids under seven years old actually doesn’t own a car at all! (I am still in awe of her.)

If you’re interested in making the shift, here are some tips to get you started:

Normalize taking modes of transportation other than the car

It’s sad but true – some people look down on others who don’t own a car, either by necessity or choice. Never talk about walking or biking as second-rate.

Instead, talk it up with enthusiasm! Little kids often see walking and biking as taking a special trip. A lot of kids find car seats uncomfortable and have trouble seeing anything in them, especially if they’re still rear-facing. In contrast, they can see everything from a bike seat or stroller. Even a bike trailer can seem a little more exciting than the car. If you love to walk or bike places, they’ll love it too.

Get the right equipment when the kids are young

The earlier you introduce biking and walking, the more normal it is. But getting the right equipment is essential.

If you plan on mostly walking, get a stroller designed to handle bumpy and narrow sidewalks. An ideal one will have thick tires, three wheels instead of four, sturdy construction, and a good brake. It’s also useful for it to fold up, so you can bring it on a bus or put it in a corner of a busy restaurant. We have the Britax B-Agile, which we’ve loved for every one of the hundreds of miles we’ve put on it.

If you’re interested in biking, you can install a child seat on your bike or use a trailer. (The links are to great overviews of the best of each type.) If the bike will be a true car replacement, cargo bikes and box bikes that are designed to haul lots of stuff and/or kids are far more stable than regular bike seats. They also provide a more pleasant experience than trailers.

Start short

As those first experiences will influence how likely your family is to try walking or biking places again, make them pleasant. Don’t start with a two mile walk on a blazing hot day or a seven mile bike ride. Pick a short trip to somewhere fun, like an ice cream shop.

As a kid, I regularly biked with my parents to a local sandwich shop where we’d get pie or ice cream. Those are some of my fondest childhood memories!

Enjoy the trip!

One of the benefits of not driving places is that you can pay attention to your surroundings. Use a walk or bike ride to point out the beauty of flowers or clouds in the sky. Wave hi to your neighbors who are out gardening or mowing the lawn. If you live in a city, spend a little time window shopping.

In addition, see if there’s a Kidical Mass ride in your area. It’s a nation-wide movement of community rides for families dedicated to supporting and encouraging biking.

Help make walking and biking safer in your neighborhood

Unfortunately, walking and biking for transportation isn’t possible to do safely in all neighborhoods and cities. Many places have minimal infrastructure like sidewalks or bike lanes, making it unsafe and uncomfortable to walk or bike.

If you have time, write to your town or county council to request an increase in support for non-car transportation. You can also support a local pedestrian/bicycle advocacy group or a national one, like Safe Routes to School. It’s especially important to create safe places to walk and bike because not everyone has a choice of whether or not to drive a car. More than half of bicycle trips are by people in the lowest 40% of income level.

Walking and biking for transportation are great ways to save money, get exercise, be outside, and spend time together as a family. I hope that you’re able to raise kids who know how to get around on their own power!

For more on using people power to move your family around, check out my Resources for Family Biking post! If you want to connect with other like-minded parents, join our Green and Sustainable Parenting Facebook group.

This post originally appeared on Parent.Co.