Haley Crouch pauses on the trail for a snack. The waning days of summer vacation for children are the perfect time for them to exercise their sense of adventure.

As mid-summer passes, thoughts begin to focus on our last vacations and children preparing for the upcoming school year.

But this can actually be the best time for your kids to exercise their sense of adventure. The Fourth of July is behind us and we have a solid month during August for short day trips, weekends to go camping and free evenings.

These are the perfect weeks for fostering their ideas of getting outside and exploring. Can you remember being a kid and calling up a friend to meet on your bikes?

I can. Growing up in central Pa., I had a close friend Laura. Often we would call each other to make plans to meet up somewhere. One of our favorite places was referred to as “the double roads.”

“Hi Laura, meet me at the double roads in 10 minutes” and the day was ours to explore on bikes. We not only built our friendship while riding, we discovered hidden treasures and places in our neighborhood and sometimes used our bikes as a net to play tennis in the street.

Once we were older, we started venturing further on our bikes. Those trips stretched out to Canoe Creek State Park, which was almost 15 miles from home. Bikes meant freedom and self-discovery of not only what our bodies were capable of, but also of the beauty that surrounded us.

The world in which we live today can easily overwhelm and distract you from those past times when life seemed simpler and a little slower. This is where bike riding comes in. It really can be as simple as getting on your bike and leaving all that stress behind for 30-60 minutes.

Pedal freely and see where the wind, the road, or your own desire takes you. It’s not always about the physical distance, speed or calories burned. Sometimes it’s about that mental reset button, refreshing your mind and spirit to be able to continue driving forward in your daily responsibilities.

When we pedal, we are free. Free from worry, free from the negativity that weigh us down. You can transport yourself back to childhood for a few minutes a day. Remind yourself of simpler times and places.

Who knows, maybe you will start to simplify your life and find more time to ride because it benefits every other area of your life.

We encourage our two young nieces to ride their bikes as much as possible. The youngest has taken to it like a pro, constantly pedaling around the backyard and driveway, skidding to a stop and restarting.

The girls are now at an age where they can understand shifting gears and are tall enough to pedal a bike with gears. It has been exciting to watch them make sense of “1” means easy, “6” means hard on their grip shift bikes.

They have a new-found potential and thrill for riding their bikes. We recently took them to the Butler Freeport Trail for a ride and incorporated some balance training while pedaling (can you ride with one hand? How about taking both hands off? Stand on one pedal only?) They had fun trying these simple tricks out while achieving a new ride mileage record.

Of course, we stopped for a snack break and even took a moment to discuss the electrical substation along the trail for a little education. Our hope and intent is to instill in these girls a desire for adventure rather than a fear of the unknown.

We want kids to know how to explore the world in which they live as well as their own physical, mental, and emotional capacities. Sometimes they make remarks about being tired or how hard it is, but we always work through this to show them it isn’t always easy to do things.

No matter your age, background, or experience, we all have an untapped potential on some level. What is holding you back? Time, money, confidence, ... These are all barriers people feel get in the way of reaching their goals or simply getting started.

There are bike lanes, bike paths, rail trails, and safe neighborhoods all around us. There are bike swap pages on Facebook, bike donations, and other ways to obtain a bicycle for minimal cost. As little as 10 minutes a day could be your start.

Contact a friend to join you in your movement to new experiences, places, and potential. Build your confidence together.

Heck, start with just walking or hiking together. It doesn’t have to be a bicycle to start out with, although we do believe they are the most fun (and minimal impact to your body).

Travis and Julie Saeler are cycling columnists for the Butler Eagle.