Bike Parade

If you’re looking for an inexpensive and enjoyable way to celebrate summer with your kids, why not try organizing a bike parade? Bike parades can take many different forms depending on the occasion, whether it’s the Fourth of July or a child’s birthday party. One of the hidden advantages of bike parades is that parents are free to socialize while the children ride. A bike parade is also a good option if you’re looking to meet people in your neighborhood. The following tips can help you to organize and facilitate the perfect summertime bike parade

Supplies

When it comes to supplies, you don’t need much. Some simple decorations from your local dollar store will do – ribbons, bows, pinwheels, and streamers are perfect. Balloons can add some panache and drinking straws can be cut and applied to the spokes to create colorful patterns. Strapping old CDs to bike spokes is another idea that can add some glitz. Put your kids in charge of decorating their bikes using their own crafts or creations, such as painted toilet paper rolls over their bike handlebars. Depending on the occasion, you may want to have your kids choose a theme to use to decorate their bikes. If the theme is A Day at the Beach, you can use beach-themed decorations, such as shells, a sun umbrella, cut-out starfish, or an inflatable dolphin or whale trailing behind in a wagon!

Setup

The first step in organizing a bike parade is finding kids to participate. Hanging up fliers around the neighborhood are a great way to make sure that everyone is informed and no one is unintentionally left out. Lamp posts and mail boxes are good places to start placing the fliers – and don’t forget to put them well in advance of your event. Include the information that other parents will need to know – time, date, location, and what will be provided. You might choose to ask parents to bring a blanket or a folding chair so that they can enjoy the entertainment.

Event Day

On the day of the event, set up a space where kids can decorate their bikes. Place all of the materials on the table and make sure you have a lot of tape on hand. The kids should work on their masterpieces somewhere where they can’t be seen – that way, they can unveil their flashy new wheels come parade time. Make sure the parade takes place around the scheduled time so that everyone can participate. You can create unique prizes based on the children’s creation – for instance, “Most Inventive,” “Funniest,” or “Best Theme.” The kids will love to receive small prizes, candy, or awards for their creations. On parade day, you might also consider planning some games for the kids to participate in after the parade, especially if you would like the event to be longer. Classic summertime games include water balloon dodgeball, skipping rope contests, and races with an egg on a spoon. Remember to make sure that the games are age-appropriate.