Kids walk and bike safety kit

At a glance

• Who: kids 5 to 12, with a teacher or leader and a helper
• Time: 40 minutes
• You need: masking tape or sidewalk chalk, a bike helmet or two, a flashlight, reflective tape or a white T-shirt and a dark T-shirt, crayons and route-map printouts

1. Stop, look, keep looking (10 min)

1. Tape a two-lane “street” with a crosswalk.
2. Practice the crossing routine: stop at the edge, look left, right, left again, keep looking while you cross, walk don’t run.
3. A helper plays a slow “car.” Kids practice waiting until the driver stops and looks at them.
4. Talk: why is it hard for drivers to see kids stepping out between parked cars, or behind a car that is backing up?

2. The helmet fit check (10 min)

Use the eyes, ears, mouth test:

• Eyes: the helmet sits about two finger-widths above the eyebrows.
• Ears: the side straps make a V just under each ear.
• Mouth: when the child opens wide, the helmet hugs the head. One finger fits under the buckled chin strap.

3. Be seen (10 min)

1. Dim the lights. One volunteer holds up a dark shirt, another a white shirt or reflective tape.
2. Shine a flashlight from across the room, like headlights. Which can kids see first?
3. Lesson: wear bright colors by day and lights or reflectors at dusk and night.

4. My safe route (10 min)

Each child draws their walk or ride to school or a friend’s house, marks the crossings, and circles one tricky spot to talk about with a grown-up.

Take-home: the bike ABC check

Print this kit

For parents: if a child is hit while walking or biking in Michigan, the family’s auto policy usually pays medical care even though no family car was involved. See pedestrian and bicycle crashes.

Free to copy and adapt; please credit “Road Safety Academy, Grove and Associates PLC.”