The toddlers love to play and ride on their outdoor tricycles so in celebration of World Bicycle day that took place in June the Tod squad worked on constructing their own abstract paper bicycle, by using some simple shapes to represent each of the bicycle’s parts. Before beginning our construction, the educators brought in a tricycle and asked the toddlers a few questions as we compared a tricycle to that of a bicycle. What are some similarities and what are some differences between the two modes of transportation? How many wheels does a tricycle have? Let’s count” said the educators. “1,2,3!’ said Brady. “And how many wheels does a bicycle have? Let’s count together” said the educators holding up a picture. “1, 2!” shouted Brynne. “They both have wheels, handles, handle bars and seats but a tricycle has one extra wheel” explained the educator. “Who would like to make their own paper bicycle?’ asked the educator. The toddlers cheered and excitedly walked over to the creative table. We then identified the shapes that we were going to be working with. They included a triangle for the frame, circles for the wheels, a crescent shape for the seat and rectangles that ranged from big to small for the handles, pedals and handle bars. Before assembling our bicycles, we first looked at pictures and discussed the different parts of a bicycle which helped us to better understand and visualize all the functioning bicycle parts. “Look at my bicycle” said Emerson excitedly. “My bicycle has 2 wheels!” said Diya as she pointed at the circles that she had glued onto her paper. “Do you have bicycles at your home?” asked the educators. “I do! My mommy and daddy have bicycles!” said Brynne excitedly. “Me too! My mommy has a bicycle!” said Brady proudly. As the toddlers continued to construct their bicycles we talked about how World Bicycle Day is celebrated on this day, June 3rd. It is a day to celebrate the fun and helpfulness of bicycles. We know that they are lots of fun for riding around, playing outside, and even helping people get to places they need to go like work, the park and home! After our paper constructions were complete we then went outside and had fun riding the tricycles, as we did laps around the bike path over and over again.
