Kids in 麻豆社国产start their outdoor sports young 鈥� but a whole new crop of the newest generation will be hitting the trails this summer thanks to Marie-Andree Racine.
Inspired by her two-year-old鈥檚 enthusiasm for his balancing bike, Racine is expanding her Little Explorers playgroup onto two wheels this month with social bike rides for toddlers to get families on the trails.
The group will focus on toddlers who are beginning to ride bikes, from ages one to five. Racine said parents will follow on foot, helping the kids to develop their early skills.
鈥淭here are so many little bikers everywhere. We鈥檝e had a couple events that we were biking around, and it鈥檚 so popular with the little ones right now,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty excited. 麻豆社国产is such a biking community.鈥�
Racine said her eldest son Jackson was slow to pick up biking 鈥� until he saw other kids on bikes and became way more enthusiastic.
鈥淎s soon as they see other little kids do it, it becomes way more doable,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a nice sport around here, and if you鈥檙e on the trails you can get much farther on bikes.鈥�
Racine said while the age group is low and children can learn bike skills at very different times, getting started with a balancing bike allows them to develop physical confidence and coordination. She鈥檚 also seen her son be more aware of his surroundings and safety skills.
鈥淭hey learn balance, they learn agility, they can maneuver so quickly,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey learn from their mistakes too. Now he knows to say, 鈥極h it鈥檚 steep mama, I need to slow down.鈥� Or 鈥極h on this one I need to walk my bike, you should walk your bike too.鈥� They start to recognize their limits. If they fall, they are a little more careful next time.鈥�
Most children in the age group are not riding pedal bikes like older kids and adults 鈥� but a toddler-designed balancing bike, which doesn鈥檛 have pedals and allows kids to reach the ground, can be a good way to get comfortable and transition to pedal bikes earlier.
An instructor from Dialed In Cycling will be on hand once a month to provide help teaching basic skills, safety and techniques.
Racine started the Little Explorers playgroup last summer to encourage families in 麻豆社国产to get outside together. The result has been new friendships for kids and adults, as well as introducing people to new trails and outdoor spots around the community.
The Little Explorers Bike Club is not a day camp 鈥� parents are required to accompany their children on foot during the meetups.
The group is having their launch party on June 2 at the SORCA skills park at Brennan Park and plan to meet bi-monthly until the fall.
