“What even is a smoothie bike?” is a question we are often asked. And the simple answer is that it’s a bike, that makes smoothies! The longer answer is that it’s a specially made bike with dynamos, a unique integrated gearing system, and a front mounted blender driven directly from the top of the front wheel. You pop your ingredients in the blender, sit on the comfy seat, pedal away, and make a delicious smooth smoothie every time!
“But what’s so good about a smoothie bike?” Apart from the fact it makes smoothies? It attracts attention and inquisitive minds. It gets people thinking about all sorts of interesting topics and it is THE BEST and MOST BRILLIANT way to kickstart many conversations on sustainability. The smoothie bike is a unique teaching tool used to enrich learning and demonstrate connectedness across school topics and day to day experiences.
What’s so good about a smoothie bike? You can talk about food. Every smoothie needs ingredients – whether that’s bananas and fruit juice or strawberries and milk; and we buy each of these ingredients from local shops. But where do they come from? How are they grown? Are they locally sourced/organic/Fairtrade?
What’s so good about a smoothie bike? You can talk about transport. Not only do conversations arise around food miles, but also our own miles travelled. We are using a bike after all! Students begin to explore the different options of travel and develop a curiosity in the difference travelling by bike can make to local and global environments.
What’s so good about a smoothie bike? You can talk about energy. One of the unique things about the smoothie bike is that is uses pedal power. We reflect on where we usually source power from and consider the impact of renewable and non-renewable energies. Developing climate knowledge and key scientific vocabulary.
What’s so good about a smoothie bike? You can talk about healthy lifestyles. Although you can make a smoothie very easily, children like to pedal as-fast-as-they-can! This results in people being out of breath and very thirsty….cue lots of conversation about exercise, keeping fit, looking after our bodies and our minds. So many links to so many science subjects.
What’s so good about a smoothie bike? You can talk about waste. We’ve made lots of smoothies and now have lots of waste – juice cartons, milk bottles, banana peels and there would be more if we didn’t use reusable cups. What happens to this waste? Can it be recycled? Do you have a compost bin? What happens to our rubbish? How can we reduce it?
Talking about the impact we have on the world and creating opportunities for children to engage with ideas around sustainability and think critically is so important. The smoothie bike enables mindful and meaningful activity. Students develop climate knowledge and the language skills to articulate their feelings, and desire to make the world a better place. Learners become agents of change.
Click here to book a smoothie bike workshop for your school (or event) and participants will feel empowered, improve in confidence and show a willingness to take on further challenges in all aspects of school life, not just changing the world!
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