Bike riding is a lot of fun, but accidents happen. Every year, many kids need to see the doctor or go to the emergency room because of bike injuries.
The Ottawa Safety Council’s CycleSafe program focuses less on cycling skills and more on important concepts that will increase children’s safety awareness, equipping them with the knowledge they will need to face the realities of sharing our roads while cycling.
The CycleSafe program is offered year-round in schools, as a part of summer camps as well as at community centres, however, because we understand that in-person attendance is not always an option, why we created a Do It Yourself CycleSafe Mini Bike Rodeo.
This bike rodeo is appropriate and engaging for children in grades one to six that have mastered the basics of starting, stopping, balance and riding.
Click here to download and print your very own DIY CycleSafe Bike Rodeo activity and instruction sheets!
To get started with t
he DIY Bike Rodeo you will need:
- Bike
- Helmet
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Smooth surface (paved driveway or quiet street/cul-de-sac) at least 10 by 20 feet.
- A cardboard sign that says “Car” (or if you want to get creative you can make a big cardboard cut out of a car and paint it)
- “Obstacles” – Bean bags/wet sponges/pylons (basically anything that will stay in place on the ground that kids will see and swerve around).
The OSC Bike Rodeo is something the entire family can get involved with and participate in. Make it fun, make it engaging and make sure your kids know how to cycle safely!
Do you have Road SMARTS?
Road safety is a shared responsibility, regardless of how you use the road. Our friends, family, children, and colleagues are impacted several times daily by road safety. When tragedy strikes, too often we feel powerless in terms of making an impact to prevent further issues. If you would like to get more involved in road safety, we invite you to take the #RoadSMARTS pledge. By taking the Road SMARTS Pledge, you Support Making All Road Travel Safe, which can help improve road safety for everyone. When road behaviours change, accidents can be reduced. For more information and to take the pledge for free, visit https://www.road-smarts.ca/