When your child learns to ride a bike, he is learning how to transport himself independently for likely the first time in his life. He'll probably want to reign over the neighborhood. To allow him that, you should carefully teach your child about bicycle safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Associations notes that 15 percent of all people killed in bicycle accidents are children, so make sure that your kids know the rules of the road before heading out. Bicycle safety games can make learning interesting and relevant to your kids.
Bike Safety Trivia
Play a quick game of bike safety trivia with your kids before they head out on their bicycles. The Consumer Product Safety Commission website has a variety of questions to ask about the right way to wear a helmet, how to approach traffic signs and other basic safety rules. Use a beanbag and when you ask a question, toss it to one of the children for an answer and a quick refresher on the rules.
Bike Sign Dry Run
Get your family ready to obey traffic signs with a "dry run" that you can do in the safety of your home. Help your family make signs that are prevalent outside, like a stop sign, traffic lights, pedestrian crossing and yield, and post them around the house. Have everyone walk around the house and tell you what to do at each sign, suggests the NHTSA. Discuss why signs are important and make sure everyone in your family can tell left from right.
Careful Riding Drill
If your kids are still a little wobbly on their bikes, an obstacle course is an ideal way to teach them about careful riding skills. You can gather pop cans or bottles, suggests Disney's FamilyFun.com, and set them out on your driveway in an interesting pattern. Show how to weave in and out of your makeshift "pylons" and score each of your kids with sidewalk chalk; one point for each bottle that remains upright, a point deducted for bottles knocked over and extra points for completing the game.
Bike Safety Bingo
Bike safety bingo can give your kids incentive to completing bike safety protocol while headed out on their bikes. Make bingo cards with each square representing a facet of bike safety--one for wearing a helmet, one for checking the tires, another for stop signs and so on. When riding with your kids, keep an eye on how they approach certain biking rules and mark off each one on the card. The first child to get a line wins a small prize.
Computer Games
Not all bike safety games need to take place while actually on the bike. Computer games can teach children the importance of bike safety, thanks to government websites that are dedicated to keeping children safe. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation offers several bike games that put children in control of the situation to teach them good biking skills that can help to keep them safe.
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