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Preschool Fitness Activity - Bike Obstacle Course
by Kelly Pfeiffer
Whether it's a tricycle, bicycle or big wheel, preschoolers love to pedal. Encourage more pedaling and fitness by setting out a few tools and props so that preschoolers can create their own bike obstacle course. Riding trikes and bikes is an outdoor fitness activity that raises the heart rate, develops coordination and strengthens leg and hip muscles. Preschoolers will spend hours inventing their own bike obstacle courses to ride bikes around and through.
4. Blank Paper, Crayons and Tape
Arrow signs, stop signs, caution signs, street signs – the possibilities are endless for a bike obstacle course with blank paper, crayons and tape. Signs can be taped to plastic cones or bikes. Preschoolers will stay busy with art, reading and symbol creations as part of this bike fitness activity.
Day 3 - put out cones and sidewalk chalk. Day 4 – put out jump ropes and cones.
2. Adults, stay out of the inventing. Let preschoolers do the creating for their bike obstacle courses. This outdoor fitness activity is like many other preschool development activities. One purpose is to allow preschoolers to explore and come to their own decisions. It’s actually helpful and builds the brain for preschoolers to struggle both physically and mentally at making decisions and at building things they imagine in their minds.
3. Add more props. Look around in your garage or home for other items to add to bike obstacle courses. Imagine what bike obstacle courses preschoolers can create with pool noodles, plastic chairs and hula hoops.
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Whether it's a tricycle, bicycle or big wheel, preschoolers love to pedal. Encourage more pedaling and fitness by setting out a few tools and props so that preschoolers can create their own bike obstacle course. Riding trikes and bikes is an outdoor fitness activity that raises the heart rate, develops coordination and strengthens leg and hip muscles. Preschoolers will spend hours inventing their own bike obstacle courses to ride bikes around and through.
Bike Obstacle Courses are Fit and Fun
Fitness combines with fun when preschoolers pedal around, over and through simple props. Just give preschoolers a few safe items from around the home or classroom, then sit back and watch preschoolers create their own outdoor fitness activity. Whether moving around props to change their bike obstacle course or riding all around the props, preschoolers will get plenty of exercise outdoors.Props for Preschool Bike Courses
1. Cones
Simple orange plastic cones are great for riding bikes around and weaving bikes through. Purchase cones at any discount store in the sporting goods department. Collapsible cones are the safest choice because they decrease the risk of injury. Plastic buckets turned upside down can substitute for cones. In a pinch, make cones from orange construction paper with staples or tape.
2. Sidewalk Chalk
With sidewalk chalk, preschoolers can draw roads, paths and bridges to ride bikes on. Stoplights, stop signs, rivers, trees – whatever a preschooler needs for a fun bike obstacle course, it can be drawn with sidewalk chalk. Preschoolers might decide to draw a restaurant, bank or store with a drive through window so they can “drive through” on their bikes.
3. Jump Ropes
Preschoolers can lay jump ropes down on the ground to represent almost anything. Two jump ropes placed a few feet apart can be a road or bridge for a bike to ride over. One jump rope stretched out on the ground might be a bicycle or tricycle speed bump.
Simple orange plastic cones are great for riding bikes around and weaving bikes through. Purchase cones at any discount store in the sporting goods department. Collapsible cones are the safest choice because they decrease the risk of injury. Plastic buckets turned upside down can substitute for cones. In a pinch, make cones from orange construction paper with staples or tape.
2. Sidewalk Chalk
With sidewalk chalk, preschoolers can draw roads, paths and bridges to ride bikes on. Stoplights, stop signs, rivers, trees – whatever a preschooler needs for a fun bike obstacle course, it can be drawn with sidewalk chalk. Preschoolers might decide to draw a restaurant, bank or store with a drive through window so they can “drive through” on their bikes.
3. Jump Ropes
Preschoolers can lay jump ropes down on the ground to represent almost anything. Two jump ropes placed a few feet apart can be a road or bridge for a bike to ride over. One jump rope stretched out on the ground might be a bicycle or tricycle speed bump.
4. Blank Paper, Crayons and Tape
Tips for Keeping Bike Course Creativity High
1. Introduce props gradually. For example Day 1 - put out cones. Day 2 - put out sidewalk chalk.Day 3 - put out cones and sidewalk chalk. Day 4 – put out jump ropes and cones.
2. Adults, stay out of the inventing. Let preschoolers do the creating for their bike obstacle courses. This outdoor fitness activity is like many other preschool development activities. One purpose is to allow preschoolers to explore and come to their own decisions. It’s actually helpful and builds the brain for preschoolers to struggle both physically and mentally at making decisions and at building things they imagine in their minds.
3. Add more props. Look around in your garage or home for other items to add to bike obstacle courses. Imagine what bike obstacle courses preschoolers can create with pool noodles, plastic chairs and hula hoops.
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