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Do you remember when you learned to ride a bike? Were you a preschooler or older? Your memories may be littered with mom or dad running behind you and eventually letting go of your bike seat, only to find yourself with scraped knees and hands from quickly falling to the ground. Why did we fall so much? Didn’t we have training wheels? Gone are the days of training wheels, mom and dad. Turns out, learning to balance is the key to learning to ride a bike.
Step 1. Balance bike
Instead of buying your child a balance bike and a bike with training wheels, just go with the training wheels bike. Leave off the training wheels and pedals for the time being and lower the seat far enough for your child to keep their feet flat on the ground when seated. Once they are ready to start pedaling, add the pedals back to the bike.
Step 2. You need a lot of space
Make a date with an empty parking lot for the weekend. Neighborhood school lots are generally vacant on the weekends and large enough to practice. Make sure there is enough space for your child to glide their bicycle a good distance through the lot.
Step 3. Gliding
Show your child how to glide small steps with both feet. He will push off with both feet and balance just until the next step. As he gains more confidence, encourage him to glide further between steps. He’ll go further and further until he won’t need to put his feet on the ground and he’ll be able to balance the bike on his own while he rides.
Step 4. Alternating feet
Once he figures out how to keep his balance while gliding, show him how to alternate feet between glides. This will turn into pedaling when you add the pedals back to the bicycle. He will build strength to pedal and balance the bike from alternating his feet while gliding.
Step 5. Aiming
To help him build strength on the balance bike, throw chips down on the ground to create targets for him to crush while gliding on the bike. He’ll learn how to steer the bike while crushing all the chips!
Step 6. Put the pedals back on
When you put the pedals back on the bike, encourage your child to let him know that he is ready for this! He’s been able to balance the bike, so pedaling will be a simple step to transition to. Make sure to raise the seat so his knees don’t hit the handle bars. The balls of his feet should be able to touch the ground. It may take a few practices, but hopefully your child is building the strength and balance he needs to ride his bike!
Want to learn more about Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Stafford located in Stafford, Texas? Our mission is to provide secure, nurturing, and educational environments for children ages 6 weeks – 12 years. We help children to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society. For more information, give us a call or stop by for a tour! We’d love to get to know you and your family.