Generally, younger children should start off riding on sidewalks with an adult nearby. Teach your new cyclist to:

• Stop at intersections: look Left – Right – Left. Wait for cars to pass. Before crossing, make eye contact with stopped drivers to ensure you have been seen. Young children should not cross busy roads without an adult.
• Be cautious at driveways and alleys: when entering or exiting, drivers do not always anticipate a child biking on sidewalks.
• Yield to pedestrians: slow down or walk your bike near others who are using the sidewalk.
• Pass on the left: alert those you pass by speaking up (“bike passing” or “passing on your left”) or ringing a bell.

As kids mature, they’ll likely ride faster which increases the potential for conflicts with pedestrians and motorists. Faster-moving bicyclists on sidewalks are harder for motorists to see than people riding bikes on the right side of the roadway.

Studies have shown that riding a bike against traffic results in more crashes with cars than biking in the same direction as traffic. Very few people on bikes get hit from behind and most car-bike crashes occur at intersections. As kids begin riding faster, biking on neighborhood and streets with low vehicle traffic becomes safer than biking on the sidewalk.

When the child is ready, practice biking on the road together to teach skills such as: bicycling defensively, scanning for traffic, looking back (and listening) for cars behind, proper lane positioning (for turning and going straight), and using hand signals.

Select routes that are appropriate to the child’s skill level and comfort. Have them take our Child Bicyclist Quiz (also available in Spanish) to learn what they know and what they need to practice.

Most important: set a good example by following traffic laws which apply to people on bikes and motorists. And, don’t forget your helmet!

Kids Activity Sheets

Ride Illinois has created activity sheets for children ages 5-8 and ages 9+ and include tips for parents and adults to use to reinforce safety with kids. Click the links below to download PDFs of our activity sheets.

Kids Activity Sheets (ages 5-8)
Kids Activity Sheets (ages 5-8) – Spanish
Kids Activity Sheets (ages 9+)
Kids Activity Sheets (ages 9+) – Spanish