To And From School on Horseback, Scooter, Foot, and More

Getting to and from school when you're Amish offers a variety of options.   If you attend public schools, like the Amish Cook's children, chances are you'll just take a yellow bus.  But if you attend an Amish school, you're on your own. A common way is to just walk.  Most Amish schools are built so that a child wouldn't have to walk any more than 2 miles to arrive at class, which someone could cover in an easy 20 minutes. In settlements that allow it, bicycles provide a quick, cheap way to get to and from home. The Amish communities sprawled out across northern Indiana is one of the largest "bike settlements."  In other communities, bicycles aren't permitted but foot-powered scooters are.    In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roller-blades are generally permissible.  And still there are more creative ways. I once saw an Amish kid going to school on skis on a snowy day in New York.  The child in the photo above is using some horse-power to get to and from school.