The beam on a child’s face when s/he has accomplished how to ride a bike is priceless.
We can all remember our first bike and the hours spent in the park with our parents/carers practicing (and the sobs and bruises that inevitably happen).
Learning how to ride a bike has become a childhood milestone and a very important one.
Not only does cycling promote an independence in children it also teaches balance, posture control, co-ordination, development of motor skills and exercise.
The skills required to cycle can be learnt at any age and expanded on as the child gets older and more competent. There are plenty of toys on the market that can help promote the essentials required. For example;
- Ride-ons – Balance promoting toys for children. These are fun toys that will help to encourage concentration, improve mobility, builds confidence and promotes exercise at a young age.
- Scooters – These are a great craze, promoting balance, co-ordination (and can make a slow journey to school far quicker). As your child gets better, the two wheeled scooter can be introduced, building on their balance techniques and introducing a more advanced steering system.
- Balance bikes – These are great as a first bike, children can concentrate on balancing whilst learning to steer without the added complication of peddling. Moving onto a larger bike will seem far less daunting after this.
As a child grows start to teach road safety; how to stay safe around cars or roads and also to be particularly aware of pedestrians who don’t want to be run over by a speeding scooter.
Fun ways to help your child learn to ride a bike:
- Find a fun/new place to practise, try a park with a grassy slope, on holiday or a play area where they allow bikes.
- Use an exciting destination to cycle to. Maybe a favourite toy or a tree they can climb if they make it.
- Go with friends who are also learning to ride a bike. A bit of healthy competition maybe what they need to spur them on.
- Take an older sibling or friend that can already ride a bike. They can show them how much fun you can have once accomplished.
