Teach The Children, Well ?

[Gold Street Customs]

Its only taken most of the school year but I have talked to my daughters principal about doing a bicycle safety/info/maintenance demonstration , and I finally have a date in place to do so. This Friday is the day, I basicly know what I want to convey, but I only have an hour to do this, the classes will be 2nd and third graders. So if you were in my shoes what would you teach them ?

[Peatbog]

Traffic safety. Fixing a flat tire (including proper tire inflation and chain alignment and tightness). Changing the height of your seat and handlebars. Not pointing the hose at your bearings when washing your bike. How to realign your front wheel with the handlebars when you knock them out of whack.

And that bikes are for having fun!

[Bendix]

I have to think actual 'maintenance' would be pretty much a waste of time with 2nd and 3rd graders. BUT we've found little kids do seem to have the attention span for watching you remove a tube from a bike and tire (remember- most don't even know there's a tube in there, and neither do their parents) and then participating in a group project where everybody has their own tube, pre-flatted with a small hole . Show them how to find the hole, scuff, glue, and patch it. Take a small air tank and you can fill them up to test the patches afterward. It's more 'arts and crafts' than 'shop class'.

Hopefully you have time to find a shop that will donate a classroom of tubes, or sell them dirt cheap. Perhaps they'd like to print up a coupon or shop promo to be handed out for their generosity.

Combining the patching activity with some safety hand outs downloaded from the LAW or other internet source should kill an hour. Recommend they discuss these with their parents. I'd avoid actually talking about traffic related stuff without some sort of 'official' credentials. CYA and all that....

[fatkid]

I wouldn't even touch on maintenance, except not to ride on flat tires. I would focus on basic safety, like helmets, riding on the correct side of the road, lights and reflectors, and how to cross safely. Engage them on their level. Bring in a really cool bike for display. Take a kids bike and ride in on it. Make them laugh and they will pay attention. I have worked with a lot of kids in that age group and entertainment is the best bet. Make some cardboard "bikes" and have the kids act out scenarios about bicycle safety. Make them wear funny hats for helmets. Even better if you can ride a unicycle, kids LOVE unicycles. Good luck!

[hubgearfreak]

the case for helmets is a long way from concluded yet. brakes on the other hand are useful. whilst you'll struggle to get that age group doing maintainance, you could get them to do a basic check of their bikes before they ride them. brakes OK? tyres inflated? & etc.

[expjawa]

Is there scientific data that suggests helmets are not safe? I'd be curious about that; unfortunately, however, you can present data and statistics to make any case you want.

Regardless, it's a moot point, at least around here. NYS requires all children under 14 wear one while riding, so kids already know they're supposed to wear them. The biggest thing I'd focus on in making sure they wear them correctly, and properly fitted. If there's a chance that a helmet can do more harm than good, it comes from wearing it wrong, and consequently allowing or creating injuries that should be avoided. I see too many kids riding with their straps loose, dangling, or unbuckled. Or have the helmet on backwards...

[B607]

Whatever you do, don't plaster that reflective tape all over the kids bikes. That really made me mad when I went to the bike safety thing in 3rd grade. Gary

[Gold Street Customs]

Whatever you do, don't plaster that reflective tape all over the kids bikes. That really made me mad when I went to the bike safety thing in 3rd grade. Gary

I would never put that reflective tape on a bike, it just takes away anything cool that the bike is, Instead I bought a case of those big reflective triangles they put on the back of tractors, remember this is a rural area.....

[cman]

Teach them ABC Quickcheck. You will need to modify it for their level.

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/educ ... script.pdf

ABC Quick Check

A is for air

B is for brakes

C is for cranks, chain and cassette

Quick is for quick releases

Check is for check it over

[Gold Street Customs]

Teach them ABC Quickcheck. You will need to modify it for their level.

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/educ ... script.pdf

ABC Quick Check

A is for air

B is for brakes

C is for cranks, chain and cassette

Quick is for quick releases

Check is for check it over

Nice, I actually had some teenage bike builders over last night, one I gave an old Powerlite frame to awhile back, and he got it on the road, his friend was trying a bunnyhop and the bars and stem popped right out, I guess those wedges and stem bolts make a difference, its scary how fast he was riding earlier without

[Longfellow]

Ca' mon !
Teach em how to ride a wheelie!
and how to make a ramp from a piece of plywood and a couple of cement blocks...
and ...
how to use yer middle finger ! ( Lifelong skill )
and baseball cards for 'engines'...

and Brown paper bag 'Sons of Anarchy' vests...

they'll never forget you. Friends forever.

...the parents....maybe not...LOL

[Longfellow]

just kidding!
didnt mean to kill your thread!
Sheesh....

[DET313]

I wouldn't even touch on maintenance, except not to ride on flat tires. I would focus on basic safety, like helmets, riding on the correct side of the road, lights and reflectors, and how to cross safely. Engage them on their level. Bring in a really cool bike for display. Take a kids bike and ride in on it. Make them laugh and they will pay attention. I have worked with a lot of kids in that age group and entertainment is the best bet. Make some cardboard "bikes" and have the kids act out scenarios about bicycle safety. Make them wear funny hats for helmets. Even better if you can ride a unicycle, kids LOVE unicycles. Good luck!

Fatkid nailed it, don't go too much into maintenance. You might reach a couple kids, who will quickly go home a try to fix their bike, and when kids try to fix their bike it ends up in pieces, and when it ends up in pieces you get angry parents, and when you get angry parents you get phone calls to the principal, and when you get phone calls to the principal you are not invited back...don't be not invited back!

But seriously, you really need to make them laugh and bring up volunteers, if not I think you will have 40 kids just staring at you. The funny hats and helmets is a great idea, the "right" and "wrong" protection. They will love seeing their teacher or principal participate, I would save the funniest hat or helmet for them. If the kids aren't having fun, it might be a very long hour.

[Gold Street Customs]

I don't know about a unicycle,(i actually have one) sitting around, but I can come out on my skateboard, throw a little bit of spacewalking, shuv it 360's, then get real crazy and bust out a daffy, or something like this

[Gold Street Customs]

Today's the day,wish me luck (hopefully pics later)