Posts Tagged ‘balance bike’

Teach Your Children Coordination and Balance with Balance Bikes

October 2nd, 2009

Perhaps you are one of many parents who do not think it is possible for their one and two year old children to ride a bike on their own; at least without the use of training wheels. Especially if you have older children who you have already taught to ride a bicycle. However, with balance bikes it is entirely possible for your toddler to learn to ride a bike without the use of training wheels and without you having to run your behind off holding up a bike for your child. A balance bike eliminates the pedals on the bike and focuses on the most difficult part of bike riding, balance.

Learning to balance on a bike actually gets more difficult as a child get older. That is because as they grow dependant on training wheels they are being taught that they need those training wheels in order to ride. Toddlers do not develop this mental block if they use balance bikes to learn how to ride. That is because a balance bike is just their size and what’s more your child will naturally begin to draw his or her feet up as they learn to balance, it will be a natural process rather than a forced one.

There are many brands of balance bikes to choose from. Brands like Strider, LIKEaBIKE, Skuut and KaZAM are all quality brands that offer different types of wooden balance bikes and metal balance bikes for you to choose from. With this variety you are sure to find a style that your child will love and with some non gender specific options, you can pass the balance bike from boys to girls or girls to boys without fear that they will reject it based on the looks.

It is important for parents to observe the same safety rules as they would for a regular bike. Balance bikes are still bicycles and your children should still wear helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist and shin guards for their protection. Not only are you protecting your children, but you are establishing good habits from a very early age. Choosing a balance bike is a great first step to teaching your child coordination and balance and preparing them for riding a regular bike in the near future.

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Balance Bikes – Great Wooden Toys for Children

September 30th, 2009

Many parents have young children that really want to ride a bike like the big kids do. It takes years of practice usually before these children can ride a regular bike. They usually end up starting out on tricycles and graduating to bikes with training wheels once they get tall enough. However, there is another option. A wooden toddler bike made in the balance bike style can get the kids riding much sooner, and be a lot of fun.

Wooden toddler bikes made in this style look like a regular bike without the peddles and gears. Children can ride on these wooden toys starting at about one year of age. In the beginning, they just straddle the bike and walk with it. Eventually they work up to sitting on the seat, and then running with it and lifting their feet up so that they learn to balance. These are a great option since they teach the kids to balance safely; their feet can always reach the ground. Most kids move right on to regular bikes without training wheels after they have fully mastered this type of bike.

Although balance bikes are available that are made of metal, many parents prefer wooden toys for their children. There are a number of companies that make these wooden toddler bikes, including PLIM, Smart Gear, LikeABike, and Skuut. They are not as cheap as tricycles, with prices ranging from around $70 to over $300, however, your kids will probably get a lot more out of using this wooden toy than they would from a tricycle.

These wooden toys are very popular in Europe, and becoming more common in the United States. This is because bikes with training wheels are mainly teaching the kids to peddle without actually teaching them to balance. It is a lot more important for them to learn how to balance since peddling is not a very difficult skill. Most kids can learn to peddle quite quickly if they already know how to balance. It makes more sense to learn how to balance, otherwise once the training wheels come off the kid will get a big surprise and will have to spend some time learning to balance better since the training wheels can make kids overconfident.

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One of the best outdoor toys for your toddler

September 30th, 2009

As the economy gets tougher and tougher, it is more and more important to spend your money wisely and get the most you can out of each purchase.  This is so true especially concerning childrens’ toys.  Because children grow so quickly, it is hard to find a toy that will grow with your child and will also keep their attention for a few years.  If it does hold their attention for a few years, the other problem is making sure it will last through the wear and tear of children.  So what is the best purchase in the category of outdoor toys for toddlers?

One of the best ideas for fun toys that toddlers can use outside is a balance bike.  These bikes are also commonly called running bikes or a run bike.  They are basically two wheeled bikes that do not have any pedals.  It might not seem like a good idea at first, but it has many advantages over a traditional bike or tricycle.  It is often said that kids as young as eighteen months can learn how to ride a bike.  At first, it doesn’t seem possible, but the concept behind the balance bike is for the child to learn how to balance first.  Because the balance bike has two sturdy wheels and your child can use their feet to keep the bike upright, they will eventually learn how to balance.  Once they master the balance aspect, the concept of peddling will come naturally and usually within a few miles of practice, they are able to ride their bike.

As far as outdoor toys, this one is the best investment because you can purchase pedals to attach on when your child learns to use them.  The seat is also adjustable and should be able to be used while your child is between the ages of one to five.  Once your child has learned how to use the balance bike, they will become more independent and more moblile so you will be free to enjoy the bike ride as well.  No more hanging on to the back of the bikes while your child learns.  You can now actively participate in the family bike rides too.

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Should You Purchase A Wooden Balance Bike or A Metal One

September 30th, 2009

When it comes to balance you have two options when you choose a balance bike for your kids. You can choose between a wooden balance bike and a metal balance bike. One of the things that you need to understand before you debate of the purchase of one or the other types of balance bike is that both types of balance bikes are equally beneficial for teaching your child balance and coordination as well s teaching them the methods for riding a bike.

A wooden balance bike offers a non gender specific look. This can serve a couple of purposes for parents. The first thing is that you can pass a wooden bike down to siblings of different genders. This can help to save you money over time and allows you to get even more use out of it in the future. Another benefit to choosing wood over metal is that changing the look of the balance bike is a lot easier. You can paint the wood with very little prepping needed and any paint, even house paint will do.

When it comes to purchasing a metal balance bike, the bikes are more gender specific. However, the look more sleek and modern as well. While wooden balance bikes are more flexible in terms of gender, they have a very distinct look that will draw attention while the metal balance bikes will, at first glance, appear to be like any other bike that a child rides. It is possible that as your children grow older that they will prefer the look of a metal bike over a wooden one just because of the bikes that they see when they are out riding.

No matter which bike you choose, a wooden balance bike or a metal one, you are making an investment that your children will enjoy for a very long time. Even children who make the transition to a regular bike love the glider type feel that they get from their balance bike and will often return to it to enjoy biking in a different way. Choosing between metal and wood for a bike will depend a great deal on how you feel about each product, the look you are going for and how much money that you want to spend on a balance bike.

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Make Sure Your Child Has the Right Toddler Gear for Safe Bike Riding

September 30th, 2009

When you toddler gets their first bike it can be a very exciting experience, especially if your child is a recipient of a balance bike, the bike that allows your child how to learn to balance naturally without the added pressure of learning to pedal and balance at the same time and without the assistance of training wheels, which can actually hinder the learning process. However, one of the things that you have to remember when you purchase a balance bike is that it is still a bicycle and there should be real concern for your child’s safety and the appropriate toddler gear should be purchased when you purchase the balance bike.

One of the easiest things to find is the safety gear, however for toddler gear, you do need to ensure that your child’s gear fits them appropriately. The helmet needs to fit properly and not slip and slide when your child moves their head around. Fortunately, many helmets come with additional padding that can be added or removed from the inside of the helmet to get the appropriate fit. What’s more, the chin strap is adjustable as well to ensure that your child is well protected.

Other toddler gear that you will need to purchase are elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards and shin guards. You will want to ensure two things, firstly that they are safety rated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), you should check for this sticker for all your safety gear. Just like the helmet, your child’s safety gear should fit snugly but not hurt when wearing. While adjustable wear is a little more expensive it will provide you with two thing, a good fit and longer use as you can adjust them as they grow bigger as well.

While this in not part of the safety gear, a safe place for your child to rid their balance bike is vitally important to their safety. Make sure that you choose a place that has nothing but foot and bike traffic (no cars please). Also, choose a location that makes it easy for you to stay with your child while they are riding so that you can be there in an instant if they fall hard enough to hurt themselves. Most of all, make sure that their are few distractions so that they can focus on their bikes and have fun!

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Use A Balance Bike Before Transitioning to A Bike with Pedals

September 30th, 2009

When it comes to purchasing a kids bike, you have a lot of options, but one of the things that you need to consider is the age of your child and just how quickly you want them to learn how to ride a bike. Everyone who knows how to ride already knows that the most difficult part of learning how to ride a bicycle is learning how to balance and for a kid trying to master the art of pedaling and balancing at the same time can be frustrating. That is why a balance bike is such a great way to adjust your child to a two wheel bike.

A balance bicycle is a bicycle without a chain, pedals and usually breaks. A balance bike is similar to a scooter except for your child is learning how to balance while sitting on a bicycle rather than standing and pushing. A balancing bike encourages your child to learn coordination rather than depending on the use of training wheels to keep them upright. This serves them well developmentally as well as making it easier for them to transition to an actual bicycle without training wheels.

The real benefit to your child learning how to ride on a balancing bike is that you will not have to train them to ride a regular bike. The pedaling action is what comes easy to kids, and kids who learn to ride a two wheel bike without training wheels find that it is easy to adapt to the combination of pedaling and balancing when they have started their training on a balancing bike.

Using a balancing bike is fun for the kids as well. When young children first start using a balance bike, they get to feel like a big kid and are keen to get started. The seat is low and allows your child to sit on the seat while using their feet for balance. Before you know it they will be scooting around your yard and your neighborhood. After they grow accustomed to how an actual two wheel bike feels they will start experimenting by pushing themselves and lifting their feet. When they have gained enough confidence you can take them to an area with small hills so that they can maintain their momentum when they are biking. Before you know it, they will be ready for their transition to a two wheel bike with pedals.

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Balance Bikes Come in Wood or Metal and At Many Price Points

September 30th, 2009

If you have ever tried to teach your older child how to ride a bike after they have been using training wheels for a number of years you know how difficult and frustrating it can be. Using training wheels tells your child that riding a bicycle is difficult. What’s more, once you eliminate the training wheels your child is typically older and may have a bigger fear of falling. What’s more it will harder for you to keep up with them when trying to teach them to ride. Big bikes are unwieldy and are harder to balance and more difficult to control. That is why so many parents are turning to balance bikes when teaching their children how to ride.

Simply put, balance bikes are bikes with no pedals that focus on teaching your children (ages 1 – 5) how to balance while riding a bike. There are many brands available to parents as well as different body types, colors etc. There are also bikes for a variety of budgets so you can spend a little or a lot on a balance bike. Choosing the right balance bike will be a combination of need, design preference and your budget.

If you prefer wooden balance bikes there are three great brands to choose from; LIKEaBIKE, Skuut, and Roadie Runner. These brands offer price options to parents that range from about $70 to a little over $300 and prices in between. You can purchase options specifically for off road use, all terrain use or paved road use. The great thing about purchasing wooden balance bikes is that they appear gender neutral, which makes it possible for you to pass the balance bike from one child to another from boys to girls and vice versa. You can also add decals and paint as you desire to decorate the bike.

Metal balance bikes from Strider, LIKEaBIKE, and KaZAM offer a more traditional look for your balance bike. They are also available in a variety of price points, colors and terrain types as well. The metal options are less gender neutral and can be purchased in colors to suit your child. Some balance bikes, like the KaZAM balance bike offers a glider type option where the feet rest once your child understands how to balance when riding.

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