Let's get kids active for Bike to School Week!

With most youngsters spending many hours trapped at home during the last 18 months, Bike to School Week this September represents a fantastic opportunity for them to return to being active.

Cycling to school brings with it a number of other benefits too, from supporting the environment and reducing pollution to enhancing children’s health and wellbeing.

For teachers wishing to use Bike to School Week as an opportunity to encourage their pupils to cycle to school, while also highlighting these benefits, there are many fun activities which can enable them to make the most of this exciting week. 

Why Bike to School Week is so important

Bike to School Week will run from 27 September to 1 October 2021, and its key objective is to encourage more youngsters to cycle and scoot to school.

Run by Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity and custodians of the National Cycle Network, with support from the government’s cycle education programme Bikeability, the week aims to be a celebration of all things cycling.

According to the latest official figures, from 2019, just 2-3% of school pupils in England cycle to school, meaning there are numerous pupils who could potentially benefit from swapping a car journey for two wheels.

The benefits of cycling to school

Unicef has shown that school children are exposed to higher levels of pollution during the school run, with the charity among many that are keen to reduce the number of vehicles on UK roads.

In addition, cycling to school can also boost a child’s concentration and focus during the school day, enabling them to make the most of their learning opportunities.

Bike to School Week is therefore a fantastic opportunity for teachers to hone in on some of these benefits so that children can understand how they can make a difference.

Useful resources for Bike to School Week

Sustrans has a wide range of resources for teachers to use in the classroom which are linked to Bike to School Week, covering both early years and key stages 1-3.

These downloadable resources include assembly presentations and lesson plans, as well as an array of engaging quizzes and other activities, and can be used in their current form or as a source of inspiration. 

There’s ample chances for pupils to be creative too – some of the primary school tasks include designing posters and spreading key messaging while also looking into how cycling impacts on the human body.

The Key Stage 2 resources include persuasive writing tasks and more advanced health activities, such as tracking heart rate, as well as activities where pupils are encouraged to analyse their habits.

At the higher level, the resources focus on elements such as climate change, tackling emissions and sustainability, to mapping journeys and understanding exactly how a bike is put together.

Cycling is at the heart of all of the activities, and each resource pack provides teachers with the tools to reinforce any of the main messages that underpin Bike to School Week.

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