May has officially been dubbed National Bike Month, an amazing excuse to get your family off their screens and onto their wheels. In most of the country it’s no longer freezing but not yet the sweltering summer—the perfect time for some outdoor exercise!

And no matter if your child is still riding a tricycle, learning to ride without training wheels, or a teen or tween who’s too cool to wear a helmet, there are plenty of fun things to do with your kids during National Bike Month that’ll make them want to get out and ride. 

Another bonus? Bike riding has health benefits for kids; it promotes self-confidence and independence, improves balance and coordination, and pedaling and steering engages multiple muscle groups that get the heart pumping.

Also, this week is Bike to Work Week 2024 and Friday, May 17 is Bike to Work Day; set an example for the littles by joining in on the fun on your commute! Here are other family-friendly, bike-centric ideas to try this month:

• Teach the little ones how to ride without training wheels. You could do it yourself the old-fashioned way—running down the block chasing after them like a lunatic so they don’t fall over, I mean—or leave it to the pros in an organized bike-riding class. REI, for example, is hosting small group classes this spring and summer for children ages 5 and up at multiple locations across the country.

• Check out a national biking event near you. Maybe it’s a fundraiser for a specific cause, a bike tour across the city, or a simple stroll in the neighborhood, but odds are there are some organized biking activities for the whole family in your area going on this month. Not sure where to find them? Your local library and/or hometown Facebook or Whatsapp groups are a good place to start.

• Sign up for a national mountain biking festival. More advanced bikers will meet other like-minded folks and get their pedaling in at one of these 47 mountain biking festivals happening now through the fall. Your kids may not be able to ride, but you can bring them along for the trip; it’s never too early to get your kids into your hobbies!

• Visit your local trails. There are 429 National Parks in the U.S.—how many of them have you seen, really? Now’s the time to check off that bucket list item to bike a paved trail at one of these scenic locations. You can choose a biking trail close to home or make a vacation out of it, your call.

• Try your own bike activities for kids. Prefer to stay really close to home? These kids’ bike activities are fun and inexpensive. Consider setting up a cone course in your driveway, a water balloon pop trail, or a bike wash (like a car wash) with your backyard hose.

How will you be celebrating National Bike Day with the crew?

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