The Play on Pedals evaluation report
The new project report shows how Play on Pedals has supported over 7,000 children to gain confidence, self-esteem, resilience and language skills, whilst having a lot of fun on bikes. Children have also become more active and have improved balance, coordination, strength and gross motor skills.
How Play on Pedals is changing lives
It's not just children that have benefited from Play on Pedals; the benefits of the project are wide-reaching:
- Instructors' training has given them ideas and confidence when delivering outdoor, physical play sessions in a fun and engaging environment.
- Parents have been encouraged to get involved, helping their children to achieve the important life skill of riding a pedal bike.
- Parents have had the opportunity to volunteer, as well as attend community events and gain skills in maintenance and carrying out safety checks on bikes.
- Play on Pedals has worked closely with local hero organisations (community groups, local bike shops, charities and faith groups) and made new local networks and community links.
- Groups have hosted events, fixed and distributed bikes, held secondhand bike amnesties and worked with ‘clusters’ of local early years establishments to involve families and young children in the project.
- There is a desire for families to participate in cycling activities, with high numbers attending events and instructors noting a new enthusiasm from parents to become involved.
Above: Some of the young riders who have benefitted from Play on Pedals
Overcoming barriers to cycling for families
The report also highlights some barriers that were encountered throughout the project. These included:
- The lack of safe cycling infrastructure for children and families to cycle on.
- Costs of equipment, making cycling seem prohibitive for some families.
- Lack of space to store bikes at home. Glasgow has a lot of tenement buildings that make cycle storage difficult.
- Low use of bikes by parents and grandparents.
However, Play on Pedals provides support to children and their families in cycling from an early age, offering guidance and advice to encourage more people to cycle for fun and enjoyment.
