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Six days of cycling, singing, and making friends: Children in Ridderkerk do it for fun – and to earn points for good beh
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Culture & Society

Six days of cycling, singing, and making friends: Children in Ridderkerk do it for fun – and to earn points for good behavior

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Two hundred children from Ridderkerk cycled for six days as part of the annual "3x2" event, combining fun with earning points for good behavior.
  • The event, now in its 54th year, focuses on building connections and teaching discipline through cycling, games, and quizzes.
  • Participants earn points for positive actions like singing enthusiastically, cleaning up, and helping others, fostering a sense of community and good conduct.

A colorful, long line of two hundred children, singing and cycling, wound its way through the streets. Traffic controllers halted cars at intersections to allow the procession, divided into groups of ten, to pass. They departed Ridderkerk, near Rotterdam, on Thursday morning and were taking a break an hour later at a wellness center parking lot in Barendrecht.

Upbeat Dutch hits, selected by traffic coordinator Peter Gouweloos, blared from sound cars. Gouweloos carefully vetted the songs to ensure no inappropriate lyrics slipped through. "They can play those at home," he said. On the parking lot, chairman Jan Snijder, holding the schedule, reassured a wellness center employee concerned about parking.

You make new friends

— AshleyA 14-year-old participant describes the social aspect of the cycling week.

"3x2" is a six-day cycling week for children aged eight to sixteen from Ridderkerk. Originally featuring two days of "trimming," two days of walking, and two days of cycling, the entire event now spans six days on bikes, emphasizing self-reliance. Electric bikes and fatbikes are prohibited, and some daily routes exceed 40 kilometers.

We live our own lives

— Jan SnijderThe chairman of the "3x2" event comments on the perceived lack of connection in modern society.

Twelve-year-old Emily found the cycling manageable, with ample breaks. Fifteen-year-old Matthijs, who dislikes fatbikes, agreed. The children stop daily at a swimming pool, play games, and participate in quizzes. Fourteen-year-old Ashley noted, "You make new friends," a sentiment echoed by twelve-year-old Sanaa, who met Ashley during the week.

Chairman Snijder explained that beyond enjoyment, the week aims to foster connections, which he believes are less common today, citing high garden fences and people engrossed in their phones. The event also retains an educational aspect, instilling discipline. Three judges discreetly observe and record positive behaviors, such as enthusiastic singing, tidiness, signaling turns, keeping hands on the handlebars, and helping others. Good behavior earns points, encouraging camaraderie and positive conduct.

What discipline can still do no harm

— Jan SnijderThe chairman explains the event's continued focus on teaching discipline.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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