Body & wellness activity
Bike, Scooter, and Helmet Safety
Helmet on every ride + where kids can ride (sidewalk / driveway, never street).
Materials and setup
- properly-fit helmet
- bike or scooter
- bike lights + bell (early+)
- reflective / bright clothing
Parent note
Helmets reduce head-injury risk by ~60%. A helmet that has taken one impact is retired — foam crushes once. Replace immediately after any crash even if it looks fine.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Helmet on every ride + where kids can ride (sidewalk / driveway, never street).
Steps
- NO HELMET = NO RIDE. Period. Every ride, every time — even just around the driveway.
- Helmet fit: 2-finger rule. Two fingers above eyebrows, two fingers under chin strap snug, side straps make a Y right under the ear.
- Where to ride: driveway or sidewalk with a grown-up. Never in the street.
- Watch for driveways backing out — drivers can't always see you.
- Practice mount, pedal, stop with a foot down.
Learning objectives
- Fit a helmet with the 2-finger rule
- Follow 'no helmet no ride'
- Understand driveway hazard
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Adds basic hand signals, stopping at driveways, and scooter-specific rules.
Steps
- STOP at every driveway and cross-walk — foot down, look LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT.
- Hand signals (start learning): left arm straight out = turning left. Left arm up = turning right. Left arm down = stopping.
- Scooter-specific: one foot on deck, scan ahead, keep speed under control on hills.
- Night + dusk: stop riding. Or, with parent: lights + reflectors on, wear something light-colored.
- Practice a simple course: drive, stop, left turn, stop, right turn, stop.
Learning objectives
- Execute driveway stop + look-left-right-left
- Use basic hand signals
- Control scooter speed
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Adds road-ready basics: which side of the road, how to take a lane, quick-check bike inspection.
Steps
- In the US, bikes ride WITH traffic (right side), on the right of the lane. Pedestrians walk AGAINST traffic — these are opposite rules.
- Quick-check before every ride (ABC): A = Air (tires firm), B = Brakes (both work), C = Chain (on + spinning freely).
- Sidewalk vs. street: depends on local law. Under 12 usually sidewalk — but yield to pedestrians and slow way down.
- Intersection: stop at stop sign, look all four ways, make eye contact with any waiting driver before crossing.
- Earbuds OUT. Phones IN POCKETS. Eyes up.
Learning objectives
- Ride correct side of road
- Perform ABC quick-check
- Make eye contact at intersections
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Adds defensive cycling, longer-distance solo rides, and crash response.
Steps
- Defensive cycling: assume drivers don't see you. Bright colors, flashing lights front + rear even in daylight. Scan mirrors you don't have — literally turn your head.
- The dooring zone: riding within 3 feet of parked cars = risk of a suddenly-opened door. Take the lane if needed.
- Intersection specifics: most bike crashes are at intersections. The 'right hook' — car passes you, turns right into you. Solution: don't pass a car on the right near an intersection; take the lane.
- Crash response: (1) check self for injury — ANY hit to the head = get checked for concussion + replace helmet (one-hit-only). (2) Move off road if possible. (3) Get driver info if vehicle involved. (4) Call parent.
- Multi-mile solo ride: parent knows route + time + check-in, phone charged, water, ABC check done, helmet on.
Learning objectives
- Practice defensive cycling
- Avoid dooring + right-hook scenarios
- Execute crash response
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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