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If you are a parent, you naturally want to see your child succeed. And chances are, if you want to see your child succeed, you might feel like you need to do everything in your power to get them there. In the context of learning how to ride a bicycle, the temptation to lend a physical hand is strong. “I’ll just steady them for a second”, you might think. Or “I can just hold one handlebar, they’re doing most of the work”, you could venture. While working for Avid4 Adventure this past summer I learned a hands-off technique to teach training-wheel-free biking that relies entirely on the power of demonstration, clear communication and patient encouragement and it blew my mind. The steps below provide a tutorial of this biking technique taught at Avid4 Adventure Learn to Bike summer camps (though keep in mind we haven't shared all of our secrets!).

Before you dive in to step 1, you'll want to make sure that your child has their own bike that fits them properly. 

It’s a camp thing

Whether you have no hesitations, need a bit of reassurance, or want more information about Avid4 Adventure’s Overnight Camp, we’ve got you covered. We sat down with a veteran sleep-away camper’s mom to get her take on residential summer camp to see what she had to say about the experience.

Long, cold winters can be tough for many people in an average year. With the added sense of isolation and social restrictions, the darker months can feel even more difficult. It’s not uncommon to experience symptoms of depression on a seasonal cycle. When they have limited sunlight, our bodies can simultaneously struggle to produce enough serotonin (the chemical in our brain that regulates our mood), and over-produce melatonin (the chemical that causes drowsiness). These two factors can sometimes result in what is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Fortunately, there are several effective ways to treat this form of depression. First, let’s make sure we know what symptoms look for.  

Screen time: We love it for educational purposes, Pinterest recipes, and for when “Mommy needs a minute!” but not so much when it turns our kids into disconnected zombies. Also, it’s important to acknowledge that screens aren’t evil, and our devices can prove to be very helpful at times.

When you think about the outdoor experiences that really made an imprint in your memory, what comes to mind? Camping in a tent, sleeping under the stars, conversations around the campfire that went uninterrupted by a buzzing phone, getting covered in dirt after a breathtaking hike or testing the limits of your mountain bike (or yourself) in the great outdoors? These types of experiences are what our overnight Expedition Camps for rising 5th-12th graders are all about.