Host a Bike Rodeo Outdoor Activity
Round up the kids for a wheel-riding rodeo!
Submitted by
Sonam Adinolf
Sonam Adinolf
Encourage your kid and his friends to break out on their trikes, scooters and bikes. They'll not only have fun riding around together, they'll get a chance to polish their riding skills with this outdoor activity.
- Wheels:A tricycle, bicycle, scooter, wheelchair, in-line skates ... whatever you have with wheels
- Riders:Your kids, the neighborhood kids, cousins
- Supervisors:You and the riders' parents
- Sidewalk:Somewhere to ride
- Helmets:Teach your kids to protect their noggins from an early age!
- Rodeo ring:A blacktop at the park, an empty (closed) parking lot or your driveway
- Sidewalk chalk
- Stopwatch
- Small prizes:Stickers, pencils, candy, pennies, you name it!
Set aside an afternoon and invite a whole bunch of kids (or just your own) to participate in a Wheel-Riding Rodeo outdoor activity.
Arrange a meeting time and place, like July 6, 3 PM, your driveway.
Before the riders arrive, take some time to map out some biking courses for the kids. Draw a long, two-sided zigzag path that the kids must ride through without crossing the lines or make a few large figure 8s to help them practice their steering techniques. For bigger kids, draw a long, straight and narrow path that they have to ride on and keep their tires in between. Use your imagination. Want them to ride circles around you? Map out a giant spiral!
When the time has come, get your kids geared up (helmets, sturdy shoes, sunscreen) and have them grab their favorite set of wheels.
When everyone has arrived, have them all mount their bikes and trikes and get rolling. Make sure the kids know that they absolutely must stay in the rodeo ring. No wandering down the street!
When everyone's had a chance to warm up, start timing one child at a time on the different obstacles. Encourage kids to try to beat their own time rather than competing against each other.
When everyone's had a chance to try all the courses, hand out your small prizes to all the riders.
Don't forget to bring your camera. You'll want to document your little band of Hell's Angels!
- Got little kids who want to join in? Bring ride-on toys with long handles so you don't have to bend down to push it. (Your back will thank you later.)
- For preschoolers, try the pedal-less Rolli-Rider. It doesn't just look good, it improves balance and motor skills so when your kids are old enough to ride a bike they've already developed the balance they need for a two-wheeler.
Submit!
