Every day on our bikes (family cycling in Germany)

7 Apr 2015


Life is good when it is a warm Spring day and the whole family can hop on their bike and go out and explore the world. When we first arrived here, in Germany, we got ourselves new bikes and a bike trailer for our, then, 14 months old. We had to blend in.

every new build gets a bike shed - this is about a quarter of ours

We had a bike seat but people here go everywhere on bikes and having the ability to carry things with you and not fall off at traffic lights because your toddler wants to grab a flower on the side of the road is useful! I went shopping, to the doctor's, to the city centre, to the market, to the kindergarten, ... everywhere with it. And I went by most temperatures (even snow). I even cycled when pregnant. I remember going to my baby shower on my bike. I just had a break when baby E was tiny.


Another expat, Adriana from Changing Plate, who recently got her own baby trailer

Last year, we decided to upgrade and get a really cool cargo bike. We can put 4 kids in it (officially) and carry all sorts of things too. It is electric (yes, ok, I am cheating) and is super cool. I love it. 

it must be comfy if he can sleep in it
it is not called cargo bike for nothing

Cycling here is a means of transportation, not a hobby. Our area is pretty flat, so it makes it really easy to go around. There are plenty of great cycling lanes everywhere. And people respect cyclists (sometimes a little too much if you are a car driver). You see all sorts of people on bikes: from disabled people on special bikes to older people on 3-wheeled bikes. People carry everything on them too: from dog trailers to babies in slings on their mother's chest.


Kids are also put on balance bikes really early on here. No training wheels ever, balance bikes until they go so fast that they can balance themselves and then they are moved on to pedal bikes. When we first arrived we thought it was pretty amazing (if not to say scary) to see tiny kids (as young as 2) ride their bikes on their own with parents following on their own bikes on the road! So, LJ got one too. And Baby E will get one in a few weeks too. 

This is one aspect of living in Germany we absolutely love.

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Earth Day Books and Music Giveaway

To inspire earth-friendly practices with your family, I’ve teamed up with several kid bloggers to bring you this awesome Earth Day giveaway. Several publishers have offered earth-themed books and music prizes for your Earth Day celebrations. Hopefully, these wonderful resources will inspire a love of nature in your children and motivate them to make a difference in the world. Amazon affiliate links are below for your convenience.

The Earth Day Giveaway co-hosts are:

Kids Yoga Stories, Mama Smiles, Spanish Playground, Creative World of Varya, Crafty Moms Share, The Piri Piri Lexicon, All Done Monkey, and Eva Varga

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY

PRIZE PACK #1

Celebrate the wonders of the water on planet Earth with this poetic and illustrative bilingual book.
Call Me Tree, by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Act out this beautiful bilingual story following a young child mimicking the growth of a tree.
Act out a journey to the forest with Kira Willey’s enchanting yoga-inspired music.
Imaginations 2, by Carolyn Clarke
Use guided imagery to explore nature while learning to calm the mind and body with these relaxation stories.
Sophia’s Jungle Adventure, by Giselle Shardlow
Join Sophia and her family on a jungle adventure while learning to appreciate jungle life and doing yoga along the way.
Create an earth-themed yoga session with this kids yoga lesson plan.
Compost Stew, by Mary McKenna Siddals
Dig into composting with this engaging rhyming text.
Get inspired to enjoy nature and simplify your life with this new musical adventure.
Backyard Garden CD, by Earthworm Ensemble
Celebrate nature, green living, and gardening with this uplifting new music.

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
PRIZE PACK #2

Change the World Before Bedtime, by Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, and Karen Good
Find out how the simple things in life that can inspire huge differences that change the world.
Picture a Tree, by Barbara Reid
Discover new ways to experience trees in this book with stunning imagery.
This Tree Counts, by Alison Formento and Sarah Snow
Practice counting with animals that live in trees.
Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green, by Eileen Spinelli and Anne Kennedy
Join Miss Fox as she teaches her forest animal students how to go green.
In the Garden with Dr. Carver, by Susan Grigsby and Nicole Tadgell
Step into the historical world of Dr. Carver as he teaches children about gardening.
Learn how planet Earth is different from other planets.
Learn why and how the world is getting warmer and what we can do about it.    

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY 
PRIZE PACK #3

Sing and dance to catchy folk music to celebrate our beautiful rainbow world.
Nature Anatomy, by Julia Rothman
Take a look at nature in a new way with this book that explains all about the nature with sketches.
Catch the Wind, Harness the Sun, by Michael J. Caduto
Learn about renewable energy with 22 activities on producing and using it.
Explore your local ecosystems with this hands-on ten-week life science curriculum.
When the Animals Saved Earth, by Alexis York Lumbard
Read a tale about how animals teach humans to restore balance in nature.
Just Like Me, Climbing a Tree, by Durga Yael Bernhard
Explore trees all over the world and see what a child sees when climbing those trees
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EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
FREE DOWNLOAD FOR EVERYONE

The Garden Classroom Journal, by Nurture Store
Download this free Garden Classroom journal to record your gardening experiences.
Garden Journal

Some of the resources above were given to us bloggers free for review, but the decision to include them in the giveaway was entirely our own.  Please read the full Contest Rules below for details.
We look forward to your entries. Thank you for taking the time to participate in our giveaway. Please let me know if you have any questions or problems with the Rafflecopter tool below by sending me an e-mail at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.

EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
To enter the contest, sign in using your Facebook or e-mail account and click on the different ways to enter. You can enter every day, using this Rafflecopter online giveaway tool.
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest Rules:
    •    Entries are open worldwide.
    •    You can be any age to enter.
    •    Participation in the contest constitutes that you agree to the Contest Rules.
    •    Please enter using the Rafflecopter tool above, obtaining points as follow the different options.
    •    You can enter every day.
    •    No purchase is necessary.
    •    You must enter the contest giveaway with a valid e-mail address. The winner will be notified by e-mail, and at that time, we will request a mailing address. The winner must respond within 72 hours, or we will pick a different winner. The shipping of the books and CDs can take some time, depending on the winner’s location. Each publisher will ship the books separately and will cover the shipping costs.
    •    If you have any questions, e-mail Giselle directly at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.
    •    The contest closes on Tuesday, April 15th, 2015, midnight EST.


1 comment

  1. Thanks for share in your every day on our bikes family cycling blogging.

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