Cyclings uses balance biking as a purposeful tool to support children’s learning across multiple areas of development.

Through carefully planned physical activity, play and reflection, children are supported to develop not only movement skills, but confidence, independence, communication and resilience.

Learning is active, child-led and rooted in real experiences.

Physical Development

Cyclings strongly supports physical development by giving children repeated opportunities to practise and refine movement skills in a meaningful context.

Children develop:

• Balance and postural control
• Coordination and body awareness
• Core strength and stability
• Fine motor skills through helmet fitting, handling equipment and bike control
• Gross motor skills through riding, stopping, steering and manoeuvring

These skills form the foundations for confident movement and future physical learning.

Personal, Social & Emotional Development (PSED)

Balance biking naturally supports personal and emotional growth.

Through Cyclings, children are encouraged to:

• Build confidence and self-belief
• Develop resilience and perseverance
• Manage risk in a supported environment
• Take turns and cooperate with peers
• Celebrate effort and progress

Children progress at their own pace, helping them develop a positive attitude towards challenge and learning.

Communication & Language

Cyclings provides rich opportunities for communication, both verbal and non-verbal.

Children are supported to:

• Listen to and follow instructions
• Use positional and directional language
• Talk about their experiences and achievements
• Communicate with peers during games and activities
• Reflect on what they have learned

Adult-led discussion and group reflection help embed learning and vocabulary.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Cyclings has been carefully designed to work in direct support of the Characteristics of Effective Learning.

Each of the nine characteristics is linked to multiple games and activities within the programme, allowing practitioners to select and adapt activities based on the specific needs, interests and development of their children.

Playing and Exploring

Children investigate movement, explore equipment and experiment with balance and control through open-ended activities and games.

Active Learning

Children are encouraged to practise skills, persist with challenges and experience the satisfaction of making progress over time.

Creating and Thinking Critically

Children make decisions, solve movement-based problems and adapt their approach as they gain confidence and experience.

This flexible structure enables practitioners to:

• Respond to individual and group needs
• Support different learning styles
• Adapt sessions in real time
• Use balance biking as a tool for targeted learning

Observation, Assessment & Evidence

Cyclings supports schools in gathering meaningful evidence of learning through structured observation and reflection.

The programme includes:

• Observation prompts linked to EYFS outcomes
• Suggested questions for practitioners to ask during and after sessions
• Guidance on how to adapt activities to make them easier or more challenging, supporting differentiation and progression
• Achievement sheets for Records of Achievement and learning journals
• Certificates celebrating participation and progress

This ensures practitioners are able to respond to children’s needs in the moment, while also capturing learning effectively over time.

Building Confident Learners

By using balance biking as a learning tool, Cyclings helps children develop skills that extend far beyond physical activity.

Children leave the programme with:

• Greater confidence in their abilities
• Improved self-regulation and independence
• A positive relationship with movement and learning
• Strong foundations for future physical challenges

And, as a natural outcome of this learning, many children are ready to progress confidently to riding a bike with pedals.