Bike Rides with Our Community
Olivia Montessori Rides
When we started Olivia Montessori immediately after the pandemic, we harbored ideas of finding common ground between the Montessori method and motorcycling. Needless to say, many thought this kind of thinking was the result of COVID.
Yet here we are in our 4th academic year and we have kicked off OM Rides – an activity that brings parents, children, and their educators together and mixes breakfast rides/drives with fun and learning while creating a bond that endures even outside of school hours.
Seen below are selected pictures from our rides. While we have branded this activity “OM Rides” some parents who are not bikers join us in their cars with their children. More the merrier.
Our First Ride
OM Rides’ first ride had no learning objective or goal – we just wanted to get as many parents and children as we could to kick off this unique exercise. Keeping in mind the distance to be travelled, quality of food on offer and some open space for the children to run around, we rode (and drove) to a restaurant at the base of Nandi Hills – just where the climb starts. The weather was perfect, the breakfast was well made though I think we drove the waiters and the kitchen nuts with the sheer volume and variety of food ordered. In the end, a great start to OM Rides.
Our Second Ride
OM Rides’ second ride fell into place during the inaugural ride itself – we actually rode past the Picket Fence Animal Farm and having taken our children to this wonderful place a couple of years ago, it became the easy and obvious choice of destination for ride 2. While participation was lesser than planned due to the fact that some parents and children were traveling to their hometowns for festivals, we still managed a decent quorum and fun was had by all. For the children, interacting with animals as diverse as horses, camels, donkeys, dogs, birds, iguanas, sheep and rabbits (to name a few) was a unique learning experience.
Our Third Ride
On a nippy and foggy Sunday morning in November (which made us realize that winter was early this year), OM Rides rode to the Avalahalli forest.
The reserve forest is a birdwatching hotspot and one can see native and migratory birds depending on the time of year. Peacocks could be heard the moment we entered from the main gate.
Depending on the time of year, one can see multiple types of butterflies too.
Though the group size was smaller than the earlier rides, we had a great morning surrounded by nature and did full justice to a carb heavy breakfast on our way back to Bengaluru.
Our Fourth Ride
On a nippy December morning, we ditched our motorcycles and opted for the warmth of car travel. As a first, we had Zoey joining us for the trip. Destination – Hesaraghatta lake.
The route took us past the destination for Om Rides 3 – Avalahalli forest.
Hesaraghatta lake must have been a huge natural reservoir years ago. Large portions of what must have been submerged land are now dry and forested. The submerged part of the lake is still quite large but the shores of the lake are littered with plastic and other waste. Collecting this waste can be explored as a regular activity for us in the future.
We spotted multiple peacocks and migratory birds around the lake and Zoey was let off the leash to enjoy a good romp and mud bath.
Our Fifth Ride
The 5th edition of OM Rides happened in January 2026 and this was an eye opener not just for our children but for the adults too.
We pushed ourselves further in terms of distance and planning and were rewarded with our largest group till date. The destination was AgResearch Labs’ hydroponic and aeroponic farm not far from Doddaballapura. They grow a variety of greens like spinach, mint, coriander etc with no pesticides (and no soil) and according to their co-founder Arvind Narayanan, they produce around 1 ton of greens per day.
We had to cover our footwear in disposable booties to reduce the chances of bringing germs into the covered environment. Apparently, the staff wear a special set of clothes when entering the environment & these are washed daily in washing machines positioned inside the sealed environment.
An eye opener for all and we thank Arvind for the effort taken to host children for the first time at AgResearch’s farm.
