As children become more used to technology, it can be hard for parents to find new, engaging ways to get them offline and outside. A program in the city of Rochester is teaching children to ride bikes, giving them access to a new hobby that doesn’t focus on technology. 

“Up, down, up,” said Kyleigh Jackson as she glided her feet across the Trenton and Pamela Jackson R-Center gymnasium in Rochester, trying to balance the bicycle she was on. 

At 8 years old, this isn’t Kyleigh’s first time trying to learn to ride a bike.

“Keeping my feet on the pedals it was kind of hard,” she said. 

She looks excited now, but that wasn't always the case.

“At first she wasn’t. She was a little scared, a little nervous because we tried many times at home on our own and she kept falling and she was a little nervous,” said Kyesha Jackson, Kyleigh’s mom. 

Her mom Kyesha knows the importance of getting her off the iPad every once in a while.

“Me growing up, personally I used to always ride my bicycle, I used to live outside and have to be home before the street lights came on,” Kyesha said. “So it's very good to encourage them, to get them outside and get them involved with things outside of technology.”

According to research from Pew Research Center in 2020, 71% of parents were concerned about their child’s screen time. Something Kyesha can understand.

“They do tend to go toward the tablets and the phones and the PlayStations more so just to get them more active and busy,” she said. “[Kyleigh] loves playing games on her tablet as well and watching television, so it’s good that she gets out and be more active.”

Making teaching kids to ride a bike a viable option to lower their screen time and get them moving.

“I think a lot of parents can experience that frustration of having to be the person to teach your kid to ride and so we’re here to help,” said Jessie Peers, cycling manager for Reconnect Rochester. 

This is where the city of Rochester’s Learn to Ride a Bike program comes into play. 

“The point of Learn to Ride a Bike is so kids can spend meaningful time outdoors and then this helps bring access,” said Amanda Little, environmental educator for the city of Rochester.

“We teach the kids with their own momentum and their feet on the gymnasium floor just to kind of scoot and glide and get their momentum going,” Peers said. 

It's giving Kylee a new way to play.

“I got a bike at home just like that but its all purple,” she said. 

And the confidence to do it.

“It's so cool, like, I wanna ride my bike,” said Kyleigh.