Need:
2 ziploc-type sandwich bags
1/2 cup Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
1 1/2 cups water
Combine alcohol & water inside one ziploc bag, squeeze out most of the air and insert into second bag, sealing tightly.
Freeze.
Will freeze into a slush and tends to stay colder longer than the gel-type ice packs.
The Ride Guide: Everything you need to know to get your child bicycling — from how to teach him to ride, to the gear and tips that will keep him safe
By Bill Strickland
LEARNING TO RIDE The 15-minute method
Most parents have fond recollections of learning to ride, with Mom or Dad running beside them, one hand on the seat of their shiny new bike, cheering them on as they flail away at the pedals.
This is a wonderful memory — but it’s not the best way to teach a child how to ride. It usually takes several sessions, and sometimes even a crash.
So avid cyclists have devised a quicker, safer method — one that’s especially effective with kids who feel intimidated by two wheels.
1. Start by removing the training wheels from the bike entirely. Lower the seat until your child can put her feet flat on the ground while she’s seated.
2. Find a grassy field with a short, gradual slope that ends with a slight uphill or a long, flat run out.
3. At the top of the slope, seat your (helmet-wearing) child on her bike. Explain — and demonstrate — how she can stop or regain balance simply by putting her feet down. Then have her lift both feet from the ground, without putting them on the pedals, and coast down the hill. Repeat until she feels comfortable — usually four or five runs.
4. Next, have her coast down the hill with her feet resting on the pedals (leveled at the three and nine o’clock positions) — but without pedaling. Repeat four or five times.
5. Now tell her to pedal as she rolls. Your child is actually riding the bike. (Be sure to watch her face when you tell her that.) After a little practice pedaling, the transition to flat riding is usually easy.
Lots of children are ready to learn by age 5 or so. Judge by mental rather than physical clues, says Mark Mozer, Ph.D., a Montana psychologist who taught his nine kids to ride — including a daughter who later became a pro racer and made the national mountain-biking team. "Many kids have the physical capability by 5 or 6," Mozer says. "But children who are more cautious and tentative wait longer. Kids with go-for-it personalities tend to pick up riding a little more quickly."
Also see:
Better Homes & Gardens April 2004
It's a perennial parental rite of passage that used to mean skinned knees and worn patience. We've all seen a mom or dad holding onto the seat, and huffing and puffing while running behind a kid learning to ride a bicycle. Then the adults let go and watched anxiously as their children took their chances with the pavement. But there's a better and safer way to teach a child to ride. This method shows kids how to develop their balance, instead of relying on you and your aching back. And the best part: It can take as little as 15 minutes.
THE GROUNDWORK
Forget training wheels and other funky gadgets. All you need is a child who's ready to learn; a bike; a gently sloping, grassy hill; and a wrench. There's no set age for taking off on two wheels, but usually by 4 or 5 years of age children have enough balance and coordination. Look for an inexpensive beginner's bike with a single gear and a foot brake, which requires less coordination than bikes with hand brakes and multiple gears. Make sure the bike isn't so big that he'll have to struggle to control it; he should be able to put both feet on the ground while standing over the crossbar with an inch to spare.
SCOUT A LOCATION
Find a slope about 20 feet high that's angled enough so the bike will coast down, but not so steep that it will be hard for your child to hold the bike still with his feet. There should be plenty of level ground at the bottom--about 20 yards in all directions.
SAFETY CHECK AND BIKE SETUP
The soft grass means less likelihood of skinned knees, but your child still needs a helmet. Avoid baggy clothing and tuck in her shoelaces before you get started. Here's the key bike setup trick: With a wrench, lower the saddle (that's cycling lingo for the seat) so your child's feet can rest flat on the ground as she sits.
ROLL AWAY
About halfway up the hill, position the bike with the pedals level. Put your child on the saddle with his feet on the ground, holding the handlebar straight and arms slightly bent. Have him lift his feet and roll to the bottom of the hill, controlling the speed by putting his feet back on the ground, if needed. Walk the bike back up and repeat until your child can keep his feet on the pedals while coasting down. Once your child has more confidence, move higher on the hill and repeat a couple more times.
ADD BRAKING AND STEERING
Tell your child to apply the brake after the hill levels out. When she can stop safely, work on steering with gentle turns to the left and right. Repeat riding down the hill, turning each direction at the bottom two or three times.
RAISE THE SADDLE, AND PEDAL
Raise the saddle high enough to allow a slight bend in your child's leg when the pedal is at the bottom of a stroke. Start up the hill and have him coast until the bottom of the hill, then pedal while riding circles in the level area. Allow a proud smile to cross your face because your child is now riding a bike.
HELMET SAFETY
It's critical to teach your child the importance of helmet safety at the same time you're teaching beginning cycling skills The Consumer Products Safety Commission notes that wearing a bike helmet can reduce your child's risk of head injury by 85 percent. Make sure the helmet is level when worn, not tilted back or angled to one side. The side straps should form a snug "V" under each ear, and the chin strap should be cinched enough to allow you to slide only two fingers underneath Many young children put their helmets on backward, so make sure they know which is the rear and which is the front There's usually a sticker inside pointing in the right direction.