BIKE ON!: Bike riding in Physical Education

Tell me I’m wrong—there is literally nothing cuter than a little kid’s face framed by a bike helmet.

Quick story. It was April 2020, right at the start of COVID. I bought a Strider bike for my two-year-old, figuring she could just bop around on it. Within a few days, she was striding like a maniac. I ended up ordering the pedal kit, and in no time she was riding on two wheels with pedals. People would actually pull over, roll down their windows, and tell me they had never seen a kid that small riding a two-wheeler.

Bike riding is considered a lifetime activity and a sustainable mode of transportation. Recently, there’s been a huge uptick in starting kids young on balance bikes instead of training wheels. Comprehensive kindergarten learn-to-ride programs, like the All-Kids Bike Program, have helped get thousands of little legs pedaling on two wheels during Physical Education class!

That program is fantastic. However, we took a slightly different route and were able to purchase our bikes, helmets, and racks through another process. I used pieces of existing curricula to build a program that fit our specific needs and teaching environment. We now run a six-lesson program in the fall, followed by a four-lesson refresher in the spring. Students also have opportunities for extra practice through after-school sessions.

The momentum has been incredible! It even led to the launch of a “Bike Bus” to school that includes many of our newest riders.

Reach out if you want to chat more about how to get initiatives like this started at your school!

Keep on,

Katie