Welcome to Bike Camp!
Wow, it has been a fun week here at Eyas Landing with the beginning of our Bike Riding Camp! This year, Bike Camp is set for two weeks of two-wheel balancing action.
Our camp structure remains the same; the children start their day with a gross motor obstacle course, facilitated by an occupational therapist, but the focus shifts to safety awareness as well as using our eyes to focus on where we are going.
The children then participate in rotations held by speech, occupational, and physical therapists. All activities focus on understanding the parts of bikes, bike safety, and most importantly, inhibition, or the ability to stop. For many of our kiddos, it is very difficult to stop an activity abruptly. This is a skill greatly needed while riding a bike, as we need to be able to stop our bodies and bikes quickly at a moment’s notice!
One game that is excellent for learning the skill of inhibition is “Red Light, Green Light.” The children have participated in this game several times throughout the week to further reinforce this important lesson. Another way to facilitate this lesson is through the use of games such as Freeze Dance, Musical Chairs, and Freeze Tag.
The best part about Eyas Bike Camp is our camper’s physical interaction with the bikes. We start off slow, teaching the children how to “wake up” their bicycles. The physical therapists taught each child individually how to stand over the frame of the bicycle with one foot on each side and to then “wake up” the bike by picking it up by the handlebars. From this position, the child is standing nicely over the frame and able to sit on the seat from a comfortable height, without losing balance.
Allowing two weeks for Bike Camp has proven to be valuable, as this first week has allowed the children to focus solely on balance. All pedals were removed from the bicycles, to allow the children to learn how to balance on the bike, both with feet on and off the ground. Some bikes have been adapted to include a handle for physical therapists to assist the children to both maintain balance and to then gradually take away assistance as needed.
We are so excited to see what next week will bring! Goodbye, training wheels!
Eyas Landing is a therapy clinic with a mission to provide evidence-based and family-centered therapy services for children, adolescents, and their families. The primary goal is to deliver relationship-based interventions within the most natural environments and to empower families to reach their full potential. To achieve this goal, our highly educated, compassionate staff dedicates time and expertise to create experiences that maximize therapeutic outcomes. The strength, determination, and perseverance of our clients are evident as they succeed in therapy, and ultimately in their daily lives.
Eyas Landing offers a wide range of comprehensive services including Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, ABA Therapy, Social Work, Family Therapy, and Neuropsych testing. Services are provided throughout the Chicagoland area via Telehealth, In-Home, and in our state of the art clinic.
Want to learn more or you have a specific question? Feel free to connect with us here!
