Bike Foundation gets Kindergarten kids rolling

The youngest students at Lynwood Avenue Elementary in Farmingville are getting schooled in bicycle riding, thanks to a program from the Strider Education Foundation.

The All Kids Bike Kindergarten Learn-to-Ride Program is a fleet of 24 bikes, pedal conversion kits, helmets, one teacher instruction bike, and certified curriculum teacher training, which is everything needed to teach kids how to progress from balance to riding a bike in eight lessons.

At Lynwood Avenue Elementary, the program will teach about 77 kindergarten students a year how to ride a bike. With the equipment lifespan of 7 to 10 years, this will impact up to 770 kids over the next decade.

“The ability to ride a bike develops physical and mental well-being and instills confidence which can lead to better focus in the classroom,” Lisa Weyer, executive director of the Strider Education Foundation, said in an organization statement. “Kindergarten is the perfect age to teach kids to ride a bike focusing on gross motor skills, balance, and coordination. By teaching bike riding at the entry level in a public school system, we are providing the knowledge and a positive foundation of a lifelong skill.” 

Launched in 2018, the All Kids Bike Learn-to-Ride Kindergarten Program is  now active in over 900 schools across all 50 states, teaching more than 100,000 kids to ride each year.