Bikes play an important role in a nursery, not just because of their obvious ability to get children moving and improve their physical development, but because they are also prized possessions within a setting.
Some children simply like to just sit on them without moving, much to the annoyance of others who are desperate to feel the freedom and joy of riding them. Others spend time figuring out how they work, moving the pedals around or spinning the wheels. And some enjoy covering them up, protecting them from the rain, and then uncovering them.
Quite simply, children love bikes. In a study by Dr Lala Manners of children in deprived areas, bikes were the top resource that children were most happy to be reunited with post-lockdown (see More information), and they are becoming ever more popular with families.
ON YOUR BIKE
Cycling is being widely promoted as a response to Covid as a safe outdoor activity that promotes mental and physical well-being. Saudaa Nadat, area operations manager for the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), says since the pandemic, there has been an increased demand in its Borrow a Bike scheme, as parents are opting to cycle and walk to nursery rather than travel on the bus (see Case study).
Emily Cherry is executive director of the Bikeability Trust, which has delivered the Department for Transport’s funded cycle training to more than 3.5 million children in England and aims to ensure that every child has a chance to receive Bikeability training by 2025. She says, ‘Nurseries have a really key role in promoting the benefits of cycling. We want to ensure all children can cycle as a skill for life, and that starts with pre-school children learning on balance bikes. Nurseries are increasingly adopting cycling as an excellent way to develop co-ordination and balance in a child.’
AGES AND STAGES
So when is the best time to transition from trike to balance bike (a two-wheeler without pedals), and then on to full-scale cycling? Christopher Johnson is head of education and training at Cycling Scotland, which delivers the Play Together on Pedals programme through local authorities to more than 10,000 children in nurseries across the country each year. He says, ‘Our experience shows that children can develop fantastic control and balance skills from age two, when they are big enough to go on a balance bike.’
When it comes to moving from a balance bike to a bicycle, Mr Johnson encourages nurseries and parents to ‘avoid stabilisers wherever possible’. He explains, ‘These can be counter-intuitive to developing balance and significantly undermine a child’s confidence once they are removed.’
Play Together on Pedals focuses on games and fun activities mostly delivered on balance bikes, as these enable children to develop balance and control skills from the earliest age.
Mr Johnson says, ‘We typically see children age three and four easily make the transition to pedalling on two wheels after balance-biking. In some cases, we have found children who have fantastic balance but struggled with the pedalling motion when it is time to start. This can be addressed by watching others, but occasionally it can be useful to offer just ten to 15 minutes on a trike or other garden toy with pedals, which is enough time for them to get used to the idea.’
LANGUAGE AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Cycling not only develops balance skills and promotes physical activity, but it also has a positive impact on young children’s language and personal development.
According to Dr Lala Manners, one of the key benefits of having bikes and trikes in a setting is the learning that goes on around them. ‘Language and communication is enormous when it comes to this resource, along with negotiation and turn-taking. For example, how do you deal with someone that just sits on a bike and doesn’t move?
‘Children love bikes. They have a very important place in a child’s psyche. But the learning is much greater than the actual physical action. They love them for a very particular reason that is not to do with being physical. When they ride on them, they love being in full control of where they go and what direction they take.’
Dr Manners says bike-riding ‘complements’ a child’s physical development. ‘They need core strength to sit and balance to sit and ride on one,’ she explains. ‘But there are many other activities – like running and climbing – that are more challenging and interesting. A lot of children prefer their scooters, which are much more challenging to manage.
‘Bikes play an interesting role in a setting because quite a lot of power play goes on with them, and a lot of social chat while they move them from one place to another, cover them and look after them.’
TIPS FOR BUYING
Balance bikes
The most important factor when looking at balance bikes is to ‘make sure the bike isn’t too large for the child’, explains Samantha Wright of Balanceability, an approved Learn to Cycle programme for children aged two and a half upwards.
She adds, ‘Children need to have their feet flat on the ground with a slight bend in the knee when using balance bikes. There are many balance bikes in the marketplace, but size is the first factor, then you have air-filled tyres which make for a more comfortable ride, a rear brake would be a bonus as it’s useful for practising for the transition to pedal bikes.’
Mr Johnson says, ‘Balance bikes are quite basic so the good news is they tend to be robust and can be passed on. Although some models come with ten-inch wheels, children tend to grow out of these quickly, so it can be worth looking for bikes with 12-inch wheels.
‘Look for pneumatic tyres which give increased grip and comfort – especially fun for children who enjoy speeding and swerving around. Make sure your bike is fitted with a brake to master control skills early, and it can be useful to have a quick-release seat for adjustment. If your child is already getting too big for a balance bike, simply find a bike the right size and remove the pedals.’
Bikes
The Bikeability Trust has a partnership with Frog Bikes. A 12-inch Tadpole balance bike from Frog Bikes costs £190.
Balanceability sell packs of resources for nurseries and schools. A pack of five 12-inch balance bikes (for two- to four-year-olds) and five 14-inch balance bikes (for four- to eight-year-olds) with course manuals, DVDs and lesson plans costs £995.
TTS’s Viking Balance Bike (£86.95) has a low step-through design, making it easy for small children to get on; and its Lightweight Balance Bike – Cruiser (£99.95) is ideal for three- to six-year-olds. Its Winther Circleline Bike (£129.95) with pedals is ideal for transitioning to a bicycle; and its Runner Cargo Bike (£289.95) is great for transporting resources.
Cosy Direct’s range of balance bikes caters to all ages: the Funky Green Bike, £86.95; Balance Bike with Back Brake, £43.99; and Two Wheeler Bike with Pedals – Viking, £179.95.
Hope Education’s wooden Balance Bike – Blue (£59.99) has solid tyres; and the Globber Go Balance Bike – Lime Green (£44.99) has tyres made from Eva foam and wheel bearings that meet high tolerance standards.
The Eolo Balance Bike, £238.95, from Early Years Resources is sustainably designed and comes in two sizes, while its Italtrike, £244.95, has looped handlebars and seat backs.
CASE STUDY: action research on bikes
LEYF is undertaking action research into the impact of bikes on children’s physical development, communication and well-being. Over six weeks, it will explore the role that bikes play in children’s language and social and emotional development through weekly observations in eight settings.
Saudaa Nadat, area operations manager for the London-based group of nurseries, says, ‘We are lucky enough to have had 200 new bikes donated to us from Bikeworks, a not-for-profit social enterprise, which have been distributed throughout our 39 nurseries.
‘Many children, especially those from deprived neighbourhoods, do not have access to a bike at home or simply an outdoor space to cycle. We have a lending scheme where parents can take the bike during the week or at weekends, which has been really successful, and hugely popular during the pandemic.
‘The original aim was to get children active and help curb the capital’s escalating childhood obesity epidemic. But we’re now at the stage where we want to move it on and look at not only the physical benefits but focus on the social interactions that take place and what the learning looks like, so that staff can be better informed.
‘A lot of negotiation takes place. We have a sand-timer that children access when they want to play with a particular resource and someone else is using it. What will happen if a child refuses to get off the bike? There’s also elaborate role play that goes on, with children playing cops and robbers and chasing the bad guy. And there’s the younger children who use the bikes for schemas, spinning the wheels round and round and covering the bikes with rain covers.’
MORE INFORMATION
