Posts Tagged ‘how to ride a bike’

Fun and useful toddler activities

September 30th, 2009

Parents are always looking for good activities for their children to do that will not only keep them entertained, but will teach them something as well.  These activities are harder and harder to find because children are now more interested in computer games, video games, and television than doing something that will teach them something.  The best thing to remember is that the simple activities will make the best toddler activities.

The traditional activity of bike riding is a great way to keep kids and toddlers engaged and entertained for a long time.  Bike riding can make toddler activities fun and free.  Not only will they be kept active, but studies have shown that children learn so much more from learning how to ride a bike.  Many pediatricians have said that by teaching a child or toddler how to balance and coordination skills will help jump start a child’s development and growth.  It will also help them develop their motor skills.

Don’t worry about if your young toddler knows how to ride a bike or not.  It is said that toddlers as young as eighteen months old can learn how to ride a bike.  One great tool to help your toddler learn is a balance bicycle.  This is a special bike that does not have any pedals on it.  Doctors have said that it is more important for toddlers to learn how to balance than it is for them to understand the concept of peddling.  Once your child has the balance down, the peddling action should come next and can be accomplished within a few miles of practice.  The balance bicycle should make bike riding one of your child’s favorite toddler activities.

As soon as your toddler has learned how to ride a bike, your entire family can enjoy bike riding and you will no longer need to worry about finding toddler activities that your entire family can participate in eagerly.  Not only will this encourage more family time together, but this will essentially teach your toddler very valuable skills in balance and coordination.  Also, encouraging an active lifestyle when your children are younger will keep them healthier in the long run.

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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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