Biking with Young Children? Plan for Success by Following These Tips

Biking is an excellent way to add some active time into your family's schedule. While it may be a little overwhelming to try to hit the bike trails with young children, it is possible, and can be tons of fun! Children love the outdoors and will stay happy as long as you are prepared to meet their needs and most of their wants! Prepare for you family bike ride and the day will be so fun; you will all anxiously await your next trip to the bike trail! Follow these rules and tips to engage your children and yourself on a awesome bike ride!

The best way to prepare for your big bike day is to take short rides around the neighborhood with the kids. This way they learn what biking is and how they need to behave. 10 minutes is a good time allotment for the first trip, and gradually extend each ride. If you are using a bike trailer, this will also give you a feeling for how it feels to pull the trailer with your bike. When using a bike seat attached to your bike you can also gain a greater feeling for how it feels to bike with a child behind you. These short rides will also allow the children to feel more comfortable and understand how they need to act when biking.

Once the big day comes up, you will need to do much preparation the day before or the morning of the trip. Be sure to dress the children accordingly. Dress them in layers so that as the weather changes, their clothes can change quickly. A t-shirt covered with a light sweatshirt is a great choice for top clothes, and light weight pants are excellent for the bottom half. If you child is wearing diapers, be sure to pack plenty and start the trip out with a fresh diaper. If you have a trailer that has a rain shield, you do not need to bring extra jackets for rainy weather. If you are using a seat, it is wisest to pack an additional cover in case it does rain.

I would also suggest having back up options for your children. For this purpose alone, we like to use a bike trailer as well as a bike seat. One parent can pull the trailer while the other parent can attach the bike seat to their bike. This way if they children start to fight in the trailer, or they just need a change of pace, you can switch them from the trailer to the seat, or vice versa. This has been the only way we can have successful bike trips with our family!

Another great tip is to minimize stuff you bring with you. Only bring the essentials and nothing else. Extra weight on the bike and in the trailer only makes biking more difficult for you, and may crowd out the kids. Leave a bag in the car with items you may feel you need so that in an emergency you have them close by.

It is very important to keep the kids happy while out biking, so be sure to bring some snacks. Small crackers, dried fruit and cookies make excellent biking snacks. Be sure to pack only food that is not sticky so that you don't have to deal with big messes. A child with an empty stomach is generally a crabby child, so be sure to pack enough food to keep them and yourself well nourished!

It is also just as important to stay well hydrated while on the trail. Pack energy drinks for yourself and your children's favorite beverages for them. Be sure to bring at least 2 extra servings of water so that if you have trouble and are stuck on the trail you have a backup.

If you feel like the kids need something more, you can always have them pick out one of their favorite toys for the trip. A favorite blanket or stuffed animal may help them to feel comfortable. Try to keep items soft and free of hard edges, and never take anything that may break.

Once you and your kids are all ready for big trip, grab the gear and the helmets and you are ready to go! Our family loves biking and we have found it to be a great family past time. By exercising as a family when the kids are young, you are setting a higher standard and a great routine.