Bike-Balance Bike-Scooters
Develops: balance, strength, coordination, body awareness, motor planning (knowing how to make your body do things to complete a task), awareness of surroundings, graded control (how much force is needed for pedaling/stopping or starting)
Importance:
- Outside playtime, which is essential for development!
- Promotes children's self-confidence and independence
- Keeps children physically healthy
- Provides opportunities to socialize
Ideas for scooter/bike use:
- Make a chalk road for them to drive on with straight lines, curves, stop signs, intersections (to practice looking both ways), a parking lot etc.
- Have them make the letters in their name while on the scooter
- Drive around obstacles
- Go on a scavenger hunt while on the scooter
- Go for a family bike ride or scooter ride
**** Teach them safety rules and make sure they wear a helmet ****
Types of scooters and recommended ages:
- Mini Micro Scooter Children: Ages 1-5
- Razor Jr Lil Kick Scooter: Ages 6 and under
- Radio Flyer Kick Scooter: Ages 2-4
- Mini Micro Scooter: Ages 3-5
- Y Scooters: This scooter is sort of “self-propelled. It’s a three-wheel scooter, where the back wheels move independently so you can get some momentum with the same sort of movement as roller skates or rollerblades. You need to swing your lower body from side to side to move forward: Age range of 5 years old all the way to adulthood
Scooter board Activities
On Stomach:
- Push/Pull self with arms only, keeping feet up
- Have child hang onto a rope or hula hoop with long arms and both hands, and pull them (make sure feet stay up)
In Sitting:
- Sit up tall and hang onto scooter board with hands
- Use feet, one at a time (right foot then left foot) to pull or push self
- Have child pretzel sit, hang onto a rope or hula hoop with long arms and 2 hands and pull them
- Have child pretzel sit, hang onto scooter with 2 hands, and push them on the back to move them forward
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