Your child will need to wear comfortable clothes and footwear that are suitable for the weather. Sandals or flip-flops are not normally suitable for cycling since they can fall off and do not offer protection for the top of the foot. Your child should have their laces (or anything that might get caught in the bike, like a scarf) tucked away. Baggy trousers that can get tangled in the bike should be rolled up or tucked into socks. Gloves will be needed if it’s cold.

Rather than you doing all of these things for your child, prompt your child to carry out these clothing checks themselves as part of a routine that they always go through before cycling: This will build their independence moving forward!

If your child is wearing a helmet, it should be a suitable size and fit correctly! You should encourage your child to fit their helmet themselves. If the helmet has a wheel at the back to tighten the inner part of the helmet, this wheel should be loosened before fitting the helmet. Your child should then tighten the wheel once the helmet is covering their forehead in a comfortable position. The inner part of the helmet should be snug. Once on their head, the helmet should cover their forehead, usually sitting about 2 finger-widths above their eyebrows. The chin straps should be comfortably tight. Your child should be able to fit two or three fingers under the strap, but no more. Finally, the buckles for the "Y-straps," which sit on either side of the helmet, should normally be positioned just underneath your child’s earlobes.

Teach your child to take care of their helmet. They are made of polystyrene foam with a thin plastic shell. They are designed to break on impact, so they are fragile and shouldn’t be dropped. You should routinely check your child’s helmet for wear and tear, and if there are any cracks, the helmet should be replaced.

Getting Prepared: Clothing and Helmet Checks

What do you need to teach your child about clothing and helmet checks? Unii explains.