Have you been looking for a fun and easy way to get your kids moving more often while making school commutes more enjoyable? If so, you may want to institute a biking-to-school challenge for your kids this school year. Whether you get your kids an old-fashioned two-speed bicycle or a hybrid bicycle for purchase near you, just encouraging your kids to hop on their bikes instead of getting in the car to go to school can provide numerous health and emotional benefits.
However, before you can begin this challenge, you’ll need to set up safe routes and plan for various contingencies. Here’s how
you and your kids can pull off this challenge successfully.
Setting Up A Safe Route With Your Child
If your child is excited about riding a bike to school and is on board with the challenge, your next questions may be how to choose a kids bike and how to set up a safe route to school. You’ll need to spend some time planning for a smooth ride to school. Sit down with your child and:
- Study maps of your neighborhood to identify the safest and quickest routes from your home
to the school - Check the weather reports every morning before heading out to know which areas to avoid
and whether to bundle up - Shop around to get your child a high-quality bicycle with good safety ratings
- Make sure your little one knows to wear essential safety gear every morning, including a
helmet, elbow pads and knee pads - Give your child an easy way to get in touch with you, such as a basic flip phone, if necessary
- Let your child’s teachers know that he or she will be biking to school for the rest of the year
Bike Maintenance 101
If you’ve decided your little one can take his or her hybrid trike to school, you may want to sit down and discuss some of the principal benefits with your child. Riding a bike to school can help your child:
- Gain independence
- Get some daily exercise
- Learn additional responsibility
- Become a safe, proficient biker
However, before going off to school on bike for the first time, it’s important to learn the basics of bike maintenance. You can work alongside your little one to help keep his or her bike in ideal condition.
Make sure to:
- Clean off the bike after riding in rainy weather or through dusty or muddy terrain
- Check the wheels, seat and handlebars before each ride
- Check that the chain is properly oiled and that the brakes are working
- Fill up the tires for the right air pressure
If your children are interested in ditching the car commute and taking their bikes to school, you may want to encourage them to try this year’s bike-to-school challenge. Before they get started, make sure to map out safe, reliable routes to school, teach them essential safety skills and keep their bike in good condition. By trying this biking challenge, your kids could get some exercise, become proficient bikers and gain additional independence.