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Kids’ Quad Biking: Swap Screen Time for Ride Time

Swap Screen Time for Ride Time: Why Autumn Is Perfect for Kids’ Quad Biking Autumn arrives, the temperature drops, the evenings get darker and suddenly one of the easiest ways to keep the kids occupied is also sitting right there on the sofa. A phone. A tablet. A games console. We all do it. When it is warm and sunny, getting children outside feels relatively easy. But once the leaves start falling and the weather becomes less predictable, it can be tempting to accept that outdoor adventures are finished until spring. At Quad Warehouse, we think autumn should mean exactly the opposite. Mud, leaves, boots, helmets and a quad bike can make autumn one of the best times of the year to get outside. Quad biking isn't just a summer activity. With the right equipment, appropriate clothing, responsible adult supervision and suitable private land, it can be brilliant year-round fun. Children are spending a lot of time online Screens are now a normal part of childhood. They are used for schoolwork, entertainment, communication and gaming, so the answer isn't necessarily to try to eliminate them altogether. But balance matters. Ofcom's research into UK children's online habits found that children aged 8–14 spend almost three hours online every day on smartphones, tablets and computers alone. Among 13–14-year-olds, that rises to around four hours per day — and those figures don't include time spent using games consoles. That means a child spending three hours a day online could clock up roughly 21 hours of internet use in a week. That's almost an entire waking day. The challenge for parents isn't simply saying, "put your phone down." It's giving children something they'd actually rather do. And that's where outdoor adventure comes in. Don't just remove the screen. Replace it with an experience. Anyone who has tried taking a tablet away from an absorbed child knows that simply announcing "go outside" isn't always greeted with enthusiasm. Children need a reason to go outside. Something exciting. Something they can improve at. Something they look forward to doing again. For youngsters who love machines and adventure, quad biking ticks a lot of those boxes. It changes an autumn afternoon from another few hours scrolling or gaming into an event. Getting their riding kit ready. Checking the quad. Walking the course with Mum or Dad. Learning how to control the throttle. Improving their steering. Tackling a muddy section they couldn't manage last month. Suddenly being outdoors isn't the boring alternative to a screen. It's the main event. More than half of children still aren't active enough The latest Sport England Active Lives Children and Young People survey found that 49.1% of children aged 5–16 achieved an average of at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. That's positive progress, but it also means more than half weren't reaching the recommended level. Around 28.4% — approximately 2.1 million children — averaged less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Current UK Chief Medical Officers' guidance recommends that children and young people aged 5–18 aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day across the week, while also reducing long periods of inactivity. A quad bike isn't a substitute for running, sport, cycling or other exercise, of course. But a day built around riding can encourage something just as valuable: getting off the sofa and spending more time outdoors. Preparing the bike, walking the riding area, moving equipment, playing outdoors between rides and spending an afternoon away from sedentary screen use all contribute towards a more active lifestyle. Outdoor adventures can be good for young minds too There is another reason this matters. The NHS's most recent major survey of children's mental health found that in 2023, 20.3% of children aged 8–16 had a probable mental disorder. The figures don't mean phones or tablets are responsible, and outdoor activity shouldn't be presented as a treatment for mental-health conditions. But they do highlight the importance of giving young people opportunities for positive experiences, activity, confidence and time with family. Physical activity itself is associated with better mental health in children and young people. UK government guidance also highlights benefits including confidence, social skills, coordination, concentration, improved sleep and simply feeling good. And that's something parents can easily underestimate. Learning to ride a quad involves concentration. A youngster has to watch where they're going, judge the terrain, steer, brake, control their speed and gradually develop confidence. There's no endless scrolling. No next video. No notifications. For a while, their attention is firmly on what's happening right now. Autumn might actually be the perfect quad biking season Summer understandably gets most of the attention when families think about outdoor activities. But autumn has a character all of its own. Firm tracks become muddier. Leaves fall. Puddles appear. Familiar areas suddenly feel different and youngsters have to adapt their riding accordingly. And let's face it — kids generally don't mind getting muddy nearly as much as adults do. A crisp autumn weekend can become something they talk about all week. Rather than dreading the colder months, having an outdoor hobby gives youngsters something to look forward to. That's why we describe quad biking as year-round fun. You don't need 25°C sunshine to have an adventure. You just need the right day, the right location and the right equipment. Confidence comes from learning, not just entertainment One of the biggest differences between passive entertainment and an activity such as quad biking is progression. Children can actually see themselves improving. The first session might simply involve learning the controls. Then it's smoother steering. Better braking. Maintaining a sensible speed. Reading the ground ahead. Negotiating turns. Becoming more confident without becoming careless. That sense of achievement can be incredibly rewarding. A screen gives instant entertainment. A skill gives youngsters something they've earned. It can become family time too Quad biking doesn't have to mean dropping the children outside and leaving them to it. For younger riders in particular, responsible supervision should be part of the experience. That creates something increasingly valuable: time together without everyone looking at a different screen. Parents can set out a simple course, teach basic checks, watch their child's progress and make riding part of a weekend routine. And when you've finished? Hot chocolate, muddy boots and an argument about whose turn it is to clean the quad. That's proper family entertainment. Safety always comes before speed Of course, getting children outdoors doesn't mean throwing safety out of the window. A children's quad should be appropriate for the rider's age, size, ability and experience. Young riders should wear suitable protective equipment, including an appropriate helmet, and should always be properly supervised. Quad Warehouse stocks children's machines ranging from smaller beginner models through to larger junior petrol and electric quads, alongside protective equipment. The website also includes a Bike Matcher designed to help parents narrow down an appropriate type of machine. Autumn conditions also require extra care. Wet grass, mud, fallen leaves and reduced daylight can affect grip and visibility, so riders should slow down and conditions should always be assessed before riding. Children's off-road quads should only be used in an appropriate location where riding is permitted, such as suitable private land with the landowner's permission. The goal isn't maximum speed. It's maximum enjoyment with sensible control. Make autumn the season they remember Phones aren't going anywhere. Neither are tablets, YouTube, gaming or social media. And they don't have to. The aim is balance. A child who has something genuinely exciting waiting outside is far easier to prise away from a screen than one being told to switch it off simply because they've "been on it too long". So this autumn, don't automatically write off outdoor fun because summer has finished. Charge the battery. Fuel the quad. Grab the helmet. Pull on the wellies. And go and make some mud. Because sometimes the best way to reduce screen time isn't another rule. It's giving them an adventure that's better than the screen. Find their next adventure at Quad Warehouse From kids' electric quad bikes to junior petrol quads, protective gear and replacement parts, Quad Warehouse has machines for different ages and levels of riding experience. The current range also includes an online Bike Matcher to help families start their search. Put the screen down. Get the helmet on. Ride more.