Guide to helping kids learn to ride a bike
As a parent, you go through so many amazing and unforgettable bonding moments with your child. And one of the most memorable bonding opportunities is teaching them to ride a bike.
The prospect of learning something new can always make kids a little bit apprehensive. So, to make the experience a bit easier for everyone, here are some useful tips we’ve come up with to help teach your children how to ride a bike.
Consider the timing
There is no one right time to learn to ride a bike, it is all dependent on your child’s abilities! If you try to teach them too early, you might scare them off. Make sure their physical abilities
are developed enough to hold the handles and use their feet to pedal, and that their mental development is at a place where they actually want to learn.
Start off small
There are lots of things you can do to get your little one ready to hop on the bike before they even get big enough to start learning. This includes starting off with a toddler trike! This is the perfect introduction to bike riding, while still fitting within their developmental abilities. It can help them get used to the feeling of riding from an early age. A great option is Liki Trike that with four different modes that adapts as they grow and advances their skillset. By the time they have outgrown it, they’ll be more than ready to ride a bike!
Get the right equipment
Once they are ready for their first bike, it’s important to choose the right one. There are tons of different options, so be sure to go with one that fits them. They should be able to touch
their feet to the ground on both sides, and reach the handles comfortably. Avoid going for a larger bike, as it will be much tougher on them as they learn. In the long run, it’s better if their bike is on the smaller side. And don’t forget about safety equipment like a good-quality helmet, and elbow and knee pads!
Know where to ride
Where a child learns to ride a bike will make a huge difference in their success. Choose an open, flat area, with few obstacles. Preferably this area should be paved, as grass or other terrain is much more difficult to learn on. Be sure to avoid main roads or areas with regular traffic, and stay away from very narrow pathways as this makes it more likely they’ll run off the edge. Some good places to start are empty parking lots, school blacktops, or empty tennis courts.
Go skill by skill
Take it slow and steady! Teaching your child one skill at a time will help them be a much better rider in the long run. Start with something such as holding onto the handlebars and using their feet to walk back and forth to get a good feeling for riding. Make sure they really have this down before moving on to the next skill. Once they master each individually, they’ll be able to put them all together and ride like a pro!
We hope our guide to teaching your children to ride a bike is useful to you. Follow these instructions well, and you and your little ones will be out on family rides in no time. Who knows, after some time, maybe they’ll be teaching you a thing or two!
At Doona, we’re dedicated to making parenting simpler, easier and more enjoyable. That’s why we created smart and functional travel baby gear like the Liki Trike, the most compact folding tricycle on the market. It’s just our way of saying thank you to all the parenting superheroes out there. Happy riding!
