Kids across Newcastle being encouraged to display some pedal power this month while the community is being asked to make space for a great cause.
National Ride2School Day, Australia’s biggest celebration of active travel, will kick off on Friday 24 March.
An initiative of Bicycle Network, National Ride2School Day aims to enable and empower students to get physically active on their way to school.
Over the past 40 years the number of children who are physically active everyday has significantly dropped. In the 1970s, eight out of ten students rode or walked to school but today that number has dropped to just two out of ten.
Also, students who ride or walk to school contribute to their minimum physical activity level of 60 minutes per day and are also more focussed and ready to learn.
This year, the community is encouraged get involved and to MAKE SPACE for our pedal powered powerhouses by taking extra care of the children that are riding to school, giving them plenty of space on the roads or paths - remember that for some students, it may be the first time they have ever ridden to school.
While making the day as safe as possible is paramount, making it fun is also important. To that end, the community is also being asked to show support by making simple outer space-themed creations such as rockets, planets, stars, aliens and astronauts to display on the front of homes (all within the property boundary, of course)
Here are some handy hints to make this year’s Ride2School Day a huge success!
Plan Your Ride
- Map your path – plan and test your ride to school, combine bike paths, parks, quiet streets and footpaths, and look for safe spots to cross.
- Prepare yourself – practice passing pedestrians safely, indicating, looking behind you, and find friends to ride with.
- Know the road rules – check the rules that are relevant for bikes, so you know your rights and responsibilities.
- Prepare your bike – Make sure you have a bell, lights and helmet and check your brakes work, wheels are pumped and chain is oiled and clean.
- Enjoy your ride – It's not every day you get to ride through space.
Tips for making space-themed creations
- Keep it simple – a simple cut out painting of a planet, an alien, or a spaceship will make a kid's day.
- Find materials in your recycling – cardboard boxes and plastic containers can make amazing UFOs.
- Get creative – try something new, like origami stars or planet mobiles, if you have the time.
- Secure it – use string on fence posts or stick the creations on windows (avoid anything permanent).
- Keep the craft in your boundary – we want to ensure you stay safe, and kids are safe while riding.
- Avoid too much shine and sparkles – we don't want kids to get too distracted from their ride.
- Please clean up after – We don't want any space trash littering our streets.
National RIde2School Day is on Friday 24 March. Head here for more information.