Seven Games to Play with Kids on Bikes
Riding a bike is fun, but playing games on a bike is more fun still! Not only that, they can help develop some useful cycling skills. Here are a seven ideas you can try next time you're out on a bike ride with the kids (we've tested them and they are fun for adults too).
Balance Bike Games
Red Light, Green Light
Stopping and starting are generally considered to be fairly useful skills for cycling and this game will help the kids become absolute start-stop pros! Stand a few metres ahead of your child with your back turned to them.
When you say "green light", they are allowed to move forward towards you. When you say "red light", you turn around and they have to have stopped before you catch them moving, otherwise it's back to the start line!
The goal is for them to reach you during a green light without getting caught moving during a red light.
Follow the Leader
A classic! And especially good if you've got some mates to play with. The leader can change speed, go between trees, ride one-handed etc. Everybody else has to follow what they do! Change up who's leader a few times and let them get creative.
Point to Point
For kids on balance bikes, this is a nice one to help them really test their balancing skills. Use some chalk (or two sticks) to mark two parallel lines on the ground a short distance apart.
The aim is to scoot from one line to the next without their feet touching the ground in between. As they gain in confidence, you can increase the distance between the lines. See how far they can go!
Kids Pedal Bike Games
Slow Race
This is a great game to encourage balance, control, and the use of gears if you have them! Choose a start and a finish line (anything from 25-100m will do). The aim is to ride as slowly as possible to the finish without putting your feet down. The last one to cross the line wins!
High Five
Learning to ride one-handed is useful for all sorts of reasons: it helps the rider loosen up and move their upper body, not to mention allowing them to indicate left and right if they ever need to.
This game is a fun way to learn one-handed riding and is very simple - just ask them to ride past you and give you a high five! Can they do it on both sides? High and low?
Shrinking Box
This game is ideal to play with a few people at the park and improve everybody’s bike handling skills whilst on a pedal bike. Mark out a large square using anything you have handy e.g. coats or bags.
Everybody has to ride around within the limits of the square without stopping or falling off. When a person stops, you can make the square smaller and smaller...the last person who manages to stay upright within the box wins!
Scavenger Hunt
When it's a nice sunny day, you can get out and about and take the kids on a scavenger hunt. Create a list of objects to spot or collect and let them loose (with some supervision)! You can check out our ready made scavenger hunts to give you inspiration.
Kids Bikes with Bike Club
You can sign up to our kids bike subscription service and exchange the bike as your kids grow. With Bike Club you can get kids bikes at an affordable monthly rate, and always ensure that your child has the appropriately sized bike at all times.