More than 70 balance bikes for Early Years settings across the Bailiwick
The Health Improvement Commission has gifted more than 70 balance bikes to 20 pre-schools in Guernsey and Alderney.
Alun Williams and Alex Costen from the Commission’s ‘Be Active’ team secured funding for these bikes and have recently been visiting the settings to deliver the second wave of more bikes and show practitioners a resource called ‘Ready Set Ride’, which has lots of games and activities for children learning to ride a bike.
“We are so grateful to have benefited from the addition of our new balance bikes. Active play is so important and our children have loved riding them. We have also received positive feedback from our parents who have expressed how much their children enjoyed using the bikes. Many have taken their children to Saumarez Park to further their experience and help them gain physical skills and develop road awareness for the future”.
This follows the recent laying of new road markings for young cyclists at Saumerez Park . The markings were designed to give children the chance to practice their bike skills in a safe environment and include a yellow line, zebra crossing and roundabout.
"We’re delighted to be able to gift the balance bikes. We hope they will provide lots of fun and excitement for many young children, giving them opportunities to learn to ride a bike and providing another way for early years practioners to incoporate activity into the day.
‘Children’s natural love of moving needs to be nurtured and enhanced and early years settings are well placed to support this."
