Things You'll Need:
- Volunteers
- A parking lot or other place to hold your event
- Safety signs
- Registration forms
- Stickers and certificates
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Step 1
Make sure you have a large parking lot or paved area for your event. The best day to do it is on a Saturday, particularly if you're holding your bike rodeo at a school. Also, you'll need to recruit a large number of volunteers well ahead of time. It helps if these are adults with cycling knowledge, but if you're in a pinch, ask some teenage service groups (such as scout organizations or youth groups) to help out. One great resource for volunteers is your local police and fire departments. After all, those are the people who have to see the victims of bicycle safety ignorance.
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Step 2
Plan on setting up stations in addition to the safety course at your bike rodeo to keep things running smoothly. Mark these areas off so they are separate from the chalk course. This will keep kids organized so they're not all trying to ride the course at the same time. If you set up the stations in a linear fashion, kids can proceed from one to the next without having to loop back around and get in each other's way. The first station they come to--even before the safety course--should be one where parents sign permission slips or any other paperwork that needs to be handled.
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Step 3
Map out your safety course using chalk or brightly colored tape. This should include "streets," parking lots, stop signs, crosswalks and intersections. You can make actual stop signs by painting the word "stop" on a red circle of cardboard. Attach the cardboard circle to a four-foot dowel rod and insert the rod into the top of an orange traffic cone. Use this method to make other signs as well, such as "school crossing" on a yellow diamond, a railroad sign on a circle, or even a speed limit sign. Place these around the course in the appropriate places. Invite parents to accompany their child through the course on foot, or to volunteer as "innocent pedestrians" or "crazy car drivers."
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Step 4
Set up another station for helmet-fitting. Here you'll need to have people who are knowledgeable in public safety matters helping out, such as police officers or firefighters. Make sure helmet adjustments are explained to parents as well as to the kids. Set up a bike inspection station, where an adult (preferably one with cycling knowledge and a wrench) can inspect the bike to make sure there are no inherent safety hazards, such as a loose chain, low tires, or poor brakes. If you can, make up stickers or a certificate for children, saying their bike has passed inspection.
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Step 5
Make sure that everyone has a good time. While a bike rodeo is educational, it should also be fun. Send everyone home knowing that they've learned something at your school bike rodeo and that they've enjoyed their day.
