Bike To School Day

Bike to School Day encourages students and classrooms to respond to the energy of National Bicycle Month.

It is very easy to have a fun Bike to School Day! The nationwide event encourages children to cycle to school and shows families how great it is to get to school by bike or on foot. Join us by promoting events at your school or simply try it out with your family.

What is Bike to School Day?

Bike to School Day provides an opportunity for schools across the country to come together to celebrate and join forces for National Bicycle Month. The event builds on the popularity of Walk to School Day, held nationally - and around the world - every October. Many communities and schools have been hosting spring walk and school bike events for many years.

The first Bike to School Day took place on May 9th, 2012, in collaboration with the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Month. Nearly 1,000 local events in 49 states and the District of Columbia have come together to encourage children to safely ride their bikes or walk to school.

Compliance builds on the popularity of National Walk to School Day, celebrated each October. It provides an opportunity for schools across the country to come together and support cycling safety for students and faculty.

This initiative focuses on healthy, safe lifestyles and promoting community participation. Schools and neighborhoods joined the campaign by raising awareness about traffic rules, increasing physical activity in our daily lives and including neighborhood awareness to share the road with cyclists.

Each year, there are different campaign materials and event ideas that are provided for guide educators. Some activities include:

• Go in groups
• Learn traffic signals and rules
• Equipment safety check
• Live healthy, eat healthy breakfast

How to celebrate Bike to School Day

1. Bike from home

Good for: Students and families who live close enough to bike to school on the right route.

How to: Encourage students and their families to walk or bike to school that day. They can join other families and form groups in their neighborhood to go to school together. This is the essence of Walk and Bike to School Day.

2. Designated starting point

Good for: Families who live too far away to ride a bike, families with limited bike paths, bus riders and children with disabilities.

How to: Identify one or more locations where students and their families will gather to cycle to school together or where families can park and go to school when they are ready. Have a parades, park and walk or ride and stride… the sky is the limit!!

3. Organize an assembly session or make cycling safety a topic during breaks or P.E.

Good for: Schools with families that have limited walking and biking routes, a lot of bus riders, and children with disabilities.

How to: Show a video (see NHTSA video below) or have someone talk about cycling safety during group time, recess, or as part of a classroom activity. The discussion could include helmet safety, cycling safety checks, hand signals, and more. These events can foster a lifelong appreciation for cycling and develop important safety skills. This is also the easiest way to engage every student.