Perhaps no mode of transport gives as much pleasure and benefit as a bicycle. Therefore, many parents strive to teach their child to ride it as early as possible. Whether the baby will fall in love with this type of transport, whether it will be easy to learn, depends on many factors.
From this article you will learn
At what age to start
Early learning to ride an iron horse contributes to the development of coordination of movements, improves the condition of the vestibular apparatus, and has a general strengthening effect on the entire body of the baby. If you choose the right vehicle, you can start as early as a year. The main thing is to teach in stages, starting with a simple technique and gradually mastering a complex one.
Of course, you don’t need to immediately buy a real two-wheeled bike for a baby. For kids from one to three years old, three-wheeled models and bicycles without pedals have been developed - bicycles, or bicycle races.
Which bike to choose
Successful training depends on the choice of vehicle. The kid is not able to keep balance on heavy or age-appropriate transport. Much depends on the state of the muscular corset of the child. Observing certain conditions, difficulties can be avoided:
Design requirements. The materials of the product must be of high quality, the model must have ease of movement and maneuverability. Be sure to have reflective elements, the absence of sharp parts, parts made of thin plastic. Spin the wheel - it should move smoothly.
Advice. There is nothing reprehensible in buying a balance bike or other children's transport from hand. Usually such items do not have time to fully work out their resource and are in good condition.
Safety
Almost any sports activity increases the risk of injury. To avoid bruises, abrasions and other troubles, it is advisable to take the following safety measures:
- Protect vulnerable spots with special safety equipment: put on a helmet, elbow pads on your hands, knee pads on your legs. Be sure to select the correct size for all equipment. Teach your baby use protective equipment in training every time.
- Shop for sportswear and shoes, or wear long pants and a sweater with breathable, stretchy sleeves. It is desirable that the legs are closed: during a fall, limbs are most often affected. Shoes should also be closed, tightly wrapped around the foot, with a corrugated non-slip sole.
- Check technical condition of the bike. Adjust the steering wheel and seat, check the degree of elasticity of the tires, align the structural details if necessary.
Does your child use protection while cycling?
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How to master a two-wheeled bicycle. Memo to parents
Two-wheeled children's bikes are not much different from their adult counterparts. They sit on them, as a rule, from the age of four. Here are a few tips to help you learn how to ride quickly and easily.
- If the child has no experience at all, it is better leave additional side wheels. Without them, learning will be easier, but parents will have to make a lot of effort helping the child to keep balance.
- Taking off one pedal, turn the bike into a kind of scooter. With one foot, the baby will start and slow down, accelerate, and with the other - turn the pedal. If necessary, you can do the same with another pedal.
- It is better to hold the student by the shoulders and not behind the seat or steering wheel. So the baby will quickly get a sense of control when driving, and the adult will not have a backache during long lessons.
- Be sure to show the child before learning how to get off the bike, teach to slow down, consolidate the skill in the process of cycling.
Advice. You can arouse interest in cycling by traveling on a bike with a baby in a special chair.
This is what a 3 day course looks like.
Day 1
Day 2
Learning to balance
It is better to learn to balance on a safe road lying on a gentle slope, with a flat surface without holes, depressions and cracks, about 50 meters long. It is better to start on a balance bike or a bicycle with the pedals and additional wheels removed. Sit the child down, make sure that his feet reach the ground. Use protective equipment.
Climb up the path. Let the little cyclist slide down the slope smoothly. If necessary, he will regulate the movement, pushing off with his feet, learn to keep the steering wheel straight.
You need to accustom gradually: repeat several times, let the baby avoid touching the ground with his feet. Training can be considered complete when you manage to drive several times along the slope without touching your feet with the ground.
How to pedal correctly
Reattach the pedals to the bike. Hold the frame and let the child stand on them. Then offer to ride down the slope, keeping both feet in this position. After fixing the result, offer to make a few turns while moving down the track. Be sure to secure at this stage until the trainee learns to pedal independently.
Braking training
It is better to teach the skill first on a flat road under the command of an adult. Explain that it is desirable to brake smoothly, but confidently, the pressure should be short-term. Alternate between hand and foot brakes.
After your trainee learns, practice on a gentle slope until you are sure that he is able to brake on his own.
Important! It is advisable to conduct cycling away from the roadway. Inspired by success, a tiny athlete can suddenly turn into the wrong place. Teach elementary traffic rules, explain that there is a danger of hitting a pedestrian.
Watch the video, which explains in detail and shows with an example how to teach a child to ride a bike in just 1-2 days.
- At first lower the seat so that the baby can easily brake with the soles of their feet. When he learns, adjust him so that he reaches the pedals with a straight leg.
- Can be used for insurance pavement with a high curb. On the one hand, the cyclist will be supported by an adult, on the other hand, if necessary, he will lean on the curb.
- For learning any skill motivation is needed. In this case, it may be the desire to make bike rides with parents, the opportunity to arrange a competition with a friend. Watching videos of athletes or cartoon characters on a bike can also inspire.
- If there are several children in the family, first you need to train the elder, then others will also want to ride.
- Keep it ready first aid supplies with open wounds.
- Riding a bicycle is not an easy science. Support your baby both physically and emotionally Be sure to praise your success. In case of failure, inspire that everything will definitely work out.
IMPORTANT! *when copying article materials, be sure to indicate an active link to the first
An important achievement in the life of every child (and also of their bike-crazy parents) is to ride on their own, without side wheels and support. Let's try to avoid some of the pitfalls and find out what The best way teach your child to pedal.
Isla Rowntree, founder of a successful British children's bike company, reports.
Even before you put the child on the bike, it is worth giving him, says Rowntree.
The child learns to balance and steer without the complexities of pedaling and lifting the feet off the ground.
Many kids are taught to ride a side-wheel bike, but Rowntree says it's not the best way. “We do not recommend this method for most children. These stabilizers keep the bike in a perfectly upright position and the child does not learn to tilt the bike for balance and control.”
1. Is the child ready?
Most children are able to master the skill between three and a half and four and a half years of age. If they're not ready, it's usually obvious by the fact that they won't be able to pedal fast enough to move.
When children see others riding a bike, they get an idea of how to push on the pedals. Remember, a child has an innate ability to learn to walk and run, but not to pedal. If the time has not come yet, you should be patient and wait.
2. Choose the right venue
It is important to choose a good place for the first lesson. It may be tempting to start on grass for a softer fall, but the surface is more viscous and requires more effort to move.
What you really need is a soft and flat rubberized surface made from a material that is used to cover children's and sports fields. It will allow the child to feel the dynamics of movement. It is ideal to have a large free space so that the child can turn and ride around without thinking about obstacles. Naturally, the place should be away from the movement of cars and pedestrians.
3. Customize your bike
Have you bought a bike of the right size? You should not start with a big bike bought "for growth". Set the height of the saddle so that sitting on it, the child reaches the toes of the foot to the ground. There will be a desire to simplify the task and lower the saddle so that you can put your foot on the ground completely. But this position makes pedaling more difficult, the knees rise too high during the ride, interfere with steering and balance.
4. Support the child in his first attempts
It may seem right to hold the bike by the handlebars and the saddle, but this makes it difficult to understand how the bike leans and responds to the weight of the rider.
It will be better to stand behind, hold the rear wheel between your legs at the beginning and support the child by the armpits with your hands as you move. So he will fully control the bike, and you will not directly affect the management and will be able to pick it up when you fall. And your back will feel better too.
5. Gradually let go (but be ready to catch)
When the child feels more confident, you can gradually let go of him, but be ready to catch the armpits if necessary.
As you run after him, you can guide his body and help him understand how the bike reacts to lean and how to turn and turn.
When children are ready to learn how to ride a bike, they will be able to balance and pedal fast enough to move on their own, usually in one half-hour session.
6. Without support
Once balance and pedaling are mastered, you can show how to start moving on your own.
Move the pedal on the side of your stronger foot to the two o'clock position and let your child put their foot on the pedal. Explain that you need to strongly press the foot on the pedal and at the same time slightly push off with the other foot from the ground. It will take a few tries before he grabs it.
7. Learning to slow down
It's easier to introduce the child to the principle of the brakes when he is not in the saddle - ask him to drive the bike nearby, apply the brakes and see what happens. At first, children press the handles sharply and strongly. Tell me that you need to press more smoothly.
Once this is learned, get on the bike and give it a few tries. Usually children quickly learn how to brake properly, but they can forget to stick out their foot - be ready to catch!
Gradually, the child will be able to go without your presence.
8. Try Again
It takes practice to master a skill. But remember that every child is different and the moment when he is ready to ride a bike is different.
Be careful, try not to let the child get a traumatic experience. No matter how much you want him to join your trips. With any luck, he'll love practicing his new skill and the freedom it brings.
Yes! And don't forget about protection! This is especially important early on; a helmet is required, and cycling gloves will help to avoid torn palms. Long pants and long-sleeve shirts are preferable to bare elbows and knees and will protect against minor abrasions. Boots or sneakers are better than sandals.
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A short video from the Kazan runbike school:
In this article, we will analyze the following question: how to teach a child to ride a bicycle?
A reader of our site asked a question: My daughter is 4 years old, she does not know how to ride a bike, tell me how to teach a child to ride a bike? After reading the article, share it with your friends on social networks.
Stage one: Starting to learn to ride a two-wheeled bicycle
First - about two months - Gleb rode a four-wheeled. Progress was visible even here. It seems that everything is simple here - pedal, you do not need to keep balance. But here, too, there were difficulties. 
The second stage: unscrew the safety wheels
And so we decided to unscrew the safety wheels. Gleb was indignant, almost immediately fell over that evening, even though he did not manage to ride a little. We put one wheel (instead of two) on the uncomfortable side and drove home. We leave the next day, unscrew the wheels, Gleb sits down and rides himself! We are absolutely delighted! Gleb did not understand at all that he had done such an unusual thing.
The main methods of mastering a bicycle for a child
In order to teach the kid to confidently own a bicycle, parents must spend a lot of time and effort to constantly control it. In this case, small wheels on the rear wheel come to the rescue, which help the child maintain balance while riding. The main disadvantage of additional wheels is that they help to solve the problem only temporarily. When a child reaches the age when it is time to get rid of such an assistant, it turns out that one cannot do without special training anyway.
It is important! Already at the age of 3 years, the baby is quite capable of mastering the basic technique of cycling.
Up to this age, insert wheels can be used so that the baby is simple and easy to move around, and riding is only a pleasure. One of the methods for gradually moving from a four-wheeled bicycle to a two-wheeled one is to disconnect first one wheel, and after a while - the second.
This method causes a lot of controversy. Some are sure that riding with one side wheel does not help the child to master the bike, but only creates additional difficulties for him when riding. They believe that it is possible to teach a child to ride a bicycle in a different way. 
To do this, you will need a helmet, a bicycle and the child himself. Side wheels are immediately discounted. You have to let the kid get used to the fact that now he has to support the bike on the go, and nothing helps him to be in an upright position. The kid must struggle to keep his balance and ride his iron horse at least a hundredth of the distance that he could overcome before, with additional wheels.
It is important! Your main task is to secure the child all the time, lightly support him by the shoulders, and help him move without stopping.
Explain to your child that the only way to stay upright and not fall is to keep moving. Let him not forget that the bike no longer has additional help, he can no longer stop or let go of the steering wheel when he wants to. The movement of a bicycle depends solely on the fact that he is pedaling and holding the handlebars.
Teaching methodology
At the very beginning, when the baby is just starting to master a two-wheeled bicycle, parents should always be near him and make sure that the child does not fall. The kid must overcome the psychological barrier, get rid of the fear that he will not succeed. 
Always walk to the side of the child, holding him by the shoulders or by the elbow. You can also hold it by the straps of braces or overalls, and even by the collar. After a while, when the child can pick up a certain speed, and move with your help, without stopping, support the bike by the saddle.
It is important! Very often, it is important for the baby not that you really take most of the bike control on yourself, but that you are nearby, and he feels your moral support.
You can go for a trick: when you are sure that the child can already confidently hold the steering wheel and continuously pedal, support him not as tightly as before. Let the baby still see that you are nearby, but he will already do all the necessary work himself, without even knowing it.
Be sure to encourage the baby, evaluate his progress, and then the training will be much more pleasant and faster.
The first training session must take place outdoors, and its duration should not exceed 30-40 minutes. Usually, children get tired of doing the same thing very quickly, so training through force will quickly beat off the kid’s desire to learn to ride a bike further. Only after the child begins to make the first progress and “bites through” all the charm of riding a two-wheeled bicycle, you can increase the riding time to 3-4 hours - you should not exceed this rate at the age of 5 years.
What should you pay special attention to
After the difficult and tedious time of study is left behind, the child must learn some little things for more confident management. In order for the baby to be able to easily navigate in unforeseen situations while riding a bicycle, it is worth paying special attention to braking technique. Even at the simplest distances, such as a stadium, a baby can get confused and lose control from the most innocent little things: a cat running across the road, a ball that has fallen in its path, a pedestrian, etc.
Track several times how well the child knows how to brake. Try to sharply block the road in front of a small cyclist, standing in his way. Will he panic or will he quickly hit the brakes? It depends on the reaction of the child whether it is possible or impossible to leave him unattended for his occupation or not.
Classes for children from 1 to 3 years old
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For the youngest cyclists, a tricycle is best. You can start training in an apartment, when the apartment for cycling becomes too crowded, you can go outside. You do not need to immediately put the child on a bicycle, let him first learn a new toy for himself. He will look at all the stickers, try to play a bike, as he sees fit. After the interest in the new toy diminishes, you can start learning.
You can start learning a bicycle by mastering the steering wheel. Put the baby in the seat and show how to use the steering wheel correctly. Let your child drive on their own. Working with the steering wheel allows you to develop the muscles of the arms and shoulders. When the baby is well kept in the saddle, and has mastered taxiing, standing still, you can ride around the house.
Having mastered the control of a bicycle with a steering wheel, you can proceed to the study of pedals. It will be quite difficult to deal with the pedals right away, firstly, pedaling is physically difficult, and secondly, it requires concentration of attention so that the movements are performed synchronously. In order for the baby to quickly understand which principle of movement will be correct, you should help him with your own hands, helping to pedal correctly. In order not to be distracted and fully concentrate, you should raise the drive wheel, thus getting something like an exercise bike. After mastering the pedals on the spot, you can move on to full-fledged skating.
Having mastered skiing within the apartment, you can start riding on the street. At first, you should choose flat areas, without a noticeable slope. During cornering, control your speed, the tricycle is not suitable for sharp maneuvers.
Classes for children from 4 to 6 years old
The age at which you can start the transition from a tricycle to a two-wheeler. This transition should be made gradually, for a start it is better to use additional wheels at the back. The technique of riding a two-wheeled bicycle is significantly different from a tricycle, so the child will not be able to feel confident enough, even if before that the baby felt great in the saddle of a tricycle.
Before you start learning new riding skills, the bike needs to be prepared. The seat and handlebars should be adjusted and at a comfortable height. The rear side wheels must be placed slightly higher than the main ones, within 5 centimeters. If the baby is already familiar with how to handle the steering wheel and pedals, you can go directly to the ride. If a child gets acquainted with a bicycle for the first time, then it is necessary to master these skills, which will be much easier at this age.
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When the child has already learned to ride confidently with additional wheels, you can remove them and move on to two-wheeled driving. It is necessary to prepare the kid morally, to explain that he already rides well and is able to do without additional wheels. During this period, it is important to carefully monitor how the child rides, and be ready to insure. First, it is now important to avoid falls and injuries. Secondly, the child, feeling your presence and support, will know that you are nearby and ready to help, which will undoubtedly add to his confidence in his abilities.
How useful is a bicycle for children?
Cycling is not only useful, but also enjoyable. The child goes in for sports and plays, develops physically. The bike is a trainer. The kid pedaling performs various exercises. But that's not all, a two-wheeled bike helps to develop:
- The vestibular apparatus of a person;
- Attention and observation.
A child, riding a bike, for at least one hour, performs various physical exercise. They have a positive effect on the growing body of the baby, blood circulation improves, metabolism normalizes. Walking on a two-wheeled horse is useful for kids with weak immunity. Together with a balanced diet, they can improve the poor health of the child and build muscle mass.
Rules and principles of driving
After all the knowledge and skills acquired earlier, the child should be explained how to handle the steering wheel. Uncertain "wagging" it from side to side will eventually lead to a fall, and in order to steer it was easier, you just need to increase speed. And then the conditioned reflexes will not let the cyclist fall.
You need to start by driving in a straight line, without resorting to turns. For greater maneuverability, experience, confidence, and skills are needed. The algorithm of actions should be like this:
- repulsion from the ground, giving the initial speed;
- placing feet on the pedals and rotating them.
Hands firmly hold the steering wheel, the gaze is not fixed on the ground, but forward. This helps not only to assess the situation on the road, but also to maintain balance, due to the correct position of the body relative to the moving structure.
If the child is afraid to pedal quickly, this makes riding extremely difficult. You need to be patient and give him a chance to want to do everything on his own. You will have to hold the bike, running behind it, perhaps a hundred meters. And gradually reduce the level of support to zero.
When to start training
Doctors believe that children who have learned to ride a bike at an early age have stronger immunity and endurance compared to their peers. Cycling helps to develop the muscles of the arms and legs, and also improves coordination of movements and the work of the heart muscle.
Given the benefits of driving, learning to ride a bike can start at 2-3 years of age.
Some parents decide not to delay this process, so their children make their first three-wheeler trip at 1.5 years old.
During the first lessons, parents should not think about how to quickly teach a child to ski. The main thing in the learning process is to interest a son or daughter and not demand the supernatural from them.
Initially, children will learn the simplest things: pedaling and turning the handlebars on a tricycle, but this will help them quickly gain the necessary skills to move on to the next stage.
As for two-wheeled transport, it is better to transfer a child to it from the age of four, when a small person learns to drive it on his own.
Regardless of the age of the child, equipment should be purchased before starting training: a protective helmet, knee pads and elbow pads.
Learning to ride a tricycle
The first important point of cycling for children is the selection of a bike for height. The correct landing of a young athlete on a three-wheeled transport should provide full access to the pedals.
Before teaching a child to pedal a bicycle, give him a good look at a three-wheeled vehicle. Let the child play with it and drive it by turning the steering wheel in different directions.
If the area of the apartment allows, then the first attempts to ride can be tried not on the street, but at home. With the first attempts, the child will begin to understand that the movement is carried out due to the rotation of the pedals.
For practice lessons outdoors, choose a stadium or schoolyard. Given that all the attention of the child will be focused on the pedals, he will go in any direction without choosing a direction.
The child will begin to master the control of a bicycle only after he has brought the skill of pedaling to automatism.
Another option, often used by parents, may be the initial mastery of the steering wheel, and then the pedals. This method is also quite effective, the main thing is to carry out everything in stages.
The duration of training should not be more than 30-40 minutes. If the child does not want to continue training, it is better to postpone it until a more favorable moment.
Mastering a two-wheeled bicycle
A child who has mastered the skills of riding a three-wheeled vehicle and switched to a two-wheeled vehicle will only have to learn how to balance. As practice shows, this stage is quite difficult.
Most often, the transition to riding a two-wheeled bike occurs at the age of four.
Consider how to teach a child to ride a bike so that the result is not long in coming:
- Lower the bike seat so that the youngest member of the family, while on it, can reach the ground with both feet. When he learns to ride, the seat can be raised to right level.
- Work out the skills of landing, driving, braking and stopping vehicles to automatism. Indeed, when riding a three-wheeled model, a small person did not even think about it.
- Some parents prefer to use the side casters as a transitional step. As practice shows, it is appropriate to accustom to riding using safety wheels only if the three-wheeled version has not been used before.
- You can improve your balance skills by turning your bike into a scooter. By removing the pedals from the vehicle, the child will be able to move forward using both feet.
- After that, you can return one pedal to its place. Holding on to the steering wheel, the young athlete will accelerate and push off the ground with one foot, while the other leans on the pedal.
- The last step will be the return of the second pedal to its place and a full ride on a two-wheeled bike. You should not hold the bike while driving, just provide your child with your support and follow him.
Before the child wants to ride on his own, do not forget to teach him how to brake properly. To do this, ride the bike with your child and ask him to stop. After releasing the vehicle, make sure that the son or daughter touches the ground after braking.
Another prerequisite is to teach how to get off the transport correctly. To do this, the bike must be tilted towards you, resting your foot on the ground. Have the young cyclist try this exercise on both sides of the vehicle.
How to teach a child to ride a bike
What parents need to know
Experts point out that before you teach your child to ride a two-wheeled bicycle, you must understand the following. Before a child sits on a bicycle, it is necessary to help him overcome the feeling of fear of the possibility of falling from this type of transport and insecurity when riding a bicycle.
That is why it is necessary, first, to sit on the bike yourself, showing that there is nothing to worry about. You can also ride this bike yourself, pushing off the floor with your feet. The most important thing is to help the child overcome the feeling of fear and insecurity. Then, in practice, supporting the child by the shoulders, teach him to keep balance in the saddle, teach him to pedal and teach him to steer.
Definitively defeating the fear of riding a two-wheeled bicycle
An important point in the absence of fear in a child of riding a bicycle is the height of the bicycle seat. It is required to make it so low that the child, when fear or anxiety appears, can immediately put his feet on the ground. Later, the seat can be raised to the required level. It is important that your two-wheeler has extra wheels on the sides.
Most importantly, these wheels should not be flush with the big wheels to avoid various injuries and accidents on the road. Before putting a child on such a bike, it is necessary to explain to the baby the difference between this bike and a tricycle. You should show such a fact as a turn made abruptly - it is impossible, since you can fall and get painful bruises on all parts of the body. You should also mention the brakes and teach the child to use them.
Which two-wheeled bike to choose for a child
The idea of buying a bike that can be ridden at five or seven is extremely attractive for the family budget. But it does not work at all if you want to teach a child to drive independently without any safety wheels. The fact is that for successful training, the legs of a small cyclist, when he sits in the saddle, must firmly, with a full foot, stand on the ground.
Therefore, it is unlikely that a bicycle with wheels larger than 12 inches is suitable for a three-year-old, and more than 14 for a four-year-old. The best option for saving money is to buy a used bike, especially since the previous owner hardly managed to “roll it up” to death in a year or two. Look for the lightest on the market for kids. Don't listen to anyone praising a 12-15kg bike with a "but it's stable" argument.
The weight of the bike should be such that your child can easily lift it or bring it into the apartment. When buying a bike, it is important to focus on the size of the wheel. You can see how big the wheels on your child's bike should be on this plate.
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Summer - the best time for games, especially if you have the opportunity to take your baby out of town, to the country. Why not take advantage of this opportunity? In this article, we will tell you how to teach your child to ride a two-wheeled bicycle. Our goal is to avoid injuries and to captivate the kid with this activity so that the bike becomes his friend and friend.
How to entertain your child with the idea of learning to ride a bike
At what age can a child ride a bike? Yes, in almost any, the main thing is that the baby is already confidently on its feet. But first, it is better to teach him how to ride a tricycle, and when he has already learned to walk, you can change to a two-wheeled one.
The most important condition for learning is the desire of the child. Don't force him to ride a bike if he doesn't want to. Otherwise, the kid will perceive this event as a duty, and will not enjoy riding either a two-wheeled or a tricycle.
We will consider a methodology for learning to ride a two-wheeled bicycle, which is suitable for children from 5 years old. It aims to solve the following problems:
- overcome insecurity and fear;
- gain a sense of balance in order to confidently stay in the saddle;
- learn to pedal
- learn to drive.
Why do adults need it? Firstly, your child is learning something new, and, moreover, useful. The ability to ride a bicycle will strengthen the muscles and bones of the child, give the necessary load on the body, teach you how to breathe correctly. In general, there is a healing effect. Secondly, you will become much freer, especially if the child really enjoys cycling.
Be sure to be by your child's side to help them if needed.
Before the child gets on the bike, help him overcome his fear of falling. You can give your child confidence by showing by example that riding a bike is easy. Try riding your bike on your own, pushing off the floor with your feet. After that, seat the child, and while holding him, offer to put his feet on the pedals. When the fear of falling is gone, move on to the next step - start teaching the baby to keep balance.
Learning to balance
The child can learn this in two ways:
- Start right away with a two-wheeled bicycle. This method is well suited for terrain with a lot of bumps.
- Teach your child to ride a runbike. This is a mini-copy of a bicycle, which is distinguished by the absence of pedals. Runbikes are of two types:
- small size, toy, which you can ride around the yard or apartment;
- large bikes that look like real bikes are suitable for yard and street riding and can be rented in various parks.
Little run bike
Such bicycles look bright and funny, so the child will surely be carried away by the idea of riding such a vehicle. There is another significant plus - the muscles of the legs will be prepared for the tension that will arise when pedaling the bicycle.
If you want to teach your child to balance on a simple bike, then follow this plan of action.
- When the child is already confidently sitting on the bike, teach him how to sit on it and get off it. Then tilt the bike in different directions so that the child puts his foot on the ground from the side of the slope, placing emphasis on it and keeping from falling.
- Encourage your child to balance on their own. Release the bike, let the baby put his feet on the pedals. When tilting the bike, the child must orient himself and lean on the ground with his foot. Support if necessary.
- Now start learning how to use the brake. This can be difficult because it may be easier for the child to brake with their feet or jump off the seat than to use the pedal. The brake must be a foot brake, not a hand brake, so that the child does not accidentally press the hand brake at the wrong time.
- When learning to brake, ride a bike with a child and ask him to apply the brakes and immediately put his foot on the ground. As soon as the baby presses the brake pedal, release the bike.
Pedaling and learning to ride
After the child has learned to balance and apply the brake, start teaching him to pedal. Maintain it during the process first, and at the same time repeat the lessons of braking already while driving.
Now you can smoothly move on to learning to ride independently. First, push the baby for short distances, controlling the timely braking, and then - further and faster. The main thing is to be there in case the child has any difficulties.
When the child feels confident while manipulating the bike, offer him a small test. Find a small hillock, and let the kid do the whole sequence of actions on his own: sit on a bicycle, pedal, slow down at the bottom of the hill and rest his foot on the ground.
Please note: It is very important that the seat and handlebars are installed correctly. The seat should be positioned so that the legs reach the pedals well, while the leg on the lower pedal is extended. The steering wheel should be at chest level.
The learning process can be significantly reduced if you buy a runbike for your child. Such a vehicle is an improved version of what we remember from Soviet times, for example, rocking horses. On a run bike, the kid will very quickly learn to balance and control the steering wheel. And when you transfer him to a two-wheeled bicycle, all that remains is to teach him how to pedal. To do this, do the following.
- Unscrew one pedal, do not install additional wheels, and lower the seat so that the baby reaches the floor with his feet. With the remaining pedal, the child will quickly learn to ride and brake.
- Screw the pedal back, leaving the seat at the same level. Invite the child to go down a small hillock. He immediately, reflexively, puts his feet on the pedals and starts to turn them.
- When the baby learns to confidently pedal, raise the seat to the desired level, but gradually, otherwise the child may be frightened and fall.
After a very short time, the child will learn to ride independently.
Features of learning to ride a two-wheeled bicycle
To make it easier for you and your child, buy a two-wheeled bike with extra wheels on the sides. The main thing is that they are not installed on the same level with the main wheels - this will help to avoid injuries when driving.
Explain to the child how such a bicycle differs from a two-wheeled one. Show that a sharp turn cannot be made, otherwise you can fall and hurt yourself. Be sure to mention the brakes.
Now start learning. The method is very similar to the one we discussed above, with the difference that you need to constantly adjust the wheels. When the baby is just beginning to learn to ride, the outboard wheels should touch the ground alternately. Later they can be lifted unnoticed by the child. When he learns to drive straight, you can completely remove the wheels.
If you buy a simple two-wheeled bicycle, then the training methodology will be more complicated. Always stay close to the child while riding, holding him by the shoulders. Do not touch the steering wheel: let the baby choose which way to turn.
Be sure to check the seat height. It should be so low that the child can immediately put his feet on the ground in any case. Over time, the seat can be raised higher.
An excellent stimulus for the child will be parents who themselves love to ride a bicycle. Toddlers tend to imitate their parents, so they will gladly master the bike to keep up with mom and dad.
Video on how to teach a child to ride a bike
Our techniques will surely help to teach your kid to stay on the bike confidently and boldly. Now you can go on long bike rides with the whole family and fully enjoy the summer days, and the kid, thanks to the bike, will always find a lot of new and exciting things for himself. Good luck and good sunny weather!
It can be very difficult to teach a child to ride a bicycle, to explain to him how to keep his balance, to pedal. The article describes methods that will help make learning as simple and fast as possible.
Riding a bicycle gives a feeling of freedom, independence, a feeling of sincere delight when you are rushing towards the wind. In addition, metabolism improves, the nervous system and immunity are strengthened, coordination develops in children.
How to teach a child to ride a tricycle?
At two years old, the child is already ready to start mastering the bicycle. The main thing is:
- do not force the baby to pedal
- don't be nervous
- don't use his friends as an example
- don't rush anywhere
If the child feels pressure and aggression on your part, he may refuse to ride the bike at all.
- Start training with a simple acquaintance and inspection of the bike. Let the baby look, touch the steering wheel, pedals, press the buttons, listen to melodies if the bike is musical
- The next step is to teach your child how to handle the steering wheel. Let him just lead him at first, if he wants to. Or rides, pushing off the ground with his legs. Children usually enjoy this process. It is not necessary to use the pedals, they can even be removed so as not to interfere
- If a bicycle with a handle is for an adult, then it is easy for a child to insure it so that it does not go where it is not necessary. But a bulky handle can also get in the way. In addition, children quickly understand that "they are being driven" and may begin to be lazy to pedal on their own.
- When the child understands how to use the steering wheel, teach him how to use the pedals. Let him put his feet on the pedals and try to push, and you, at this time, help a little - push the bike, but not much, so that the baby can understand the process
- Teach your child to use the pedals and the steering wheel separately. Proceed to the next stage after the first skill will work on the machine
- Far from all tricycles, the pedals are conveniently located for independent riding. The pedals may be too far from the seat or too close to the steering wheel. Therefore, if something does not work out, do not insist, perhaps the child is simply uncomfortable
- Continue training only as long as the child enjoys the process.
How to teach a child to ride a two-wheeled bicycle: instructions
Check that the equipment and the bike are appropriate for the age of the child, are serviceable and reliable.
- Adjust the seat so your feet are touching the ground. When you learn - raise the seat higher. Place the steering wheel at chest level or below
- Learn how to properly ride a bike. Tilt the bike on its side, and then, leaning on your left foot, bring your right foot over the bike and place it on the other side of the bike. Explain all steps. When a child sees an exact example with a detailed explanation, it is easier for him to remember and repeat
- Learn how to get off the bike. Children may panic, spread their legs apart, try to jump off the bike. It is necessary to teach the child to immediately put one foot on the ground when the bike stops
- Teach your child to get in/out on the other side of the bike. At the same time, they also teach how to keep the bike from falling.
- Show how to move off and put your feet on the pedals
- Learn to balance
- The next step is the braking process. When riding a bike with a child, ask him to slow down. Explain that after braking, the foot must be lowered to the ground to maintain balance. At this moment, the child must be insured, but not kept
- When the child has mastered the brake, teach him to pedal. The child must be supported at first. At the same time, reinforce the skill of braking with a foot brake
- For the child to drive his first meters, push him and let him pedal. At first it will be a very small distance, but already an achievement. The main thing is that you have time to insure
- After the child can hold on for 20-30 seconds on his own, teach him to go around obstacles and turn. As obstacles, you can use chips lined up in a row, skittles, cones, marks drawn on the asphalt, etc.
- Now help master the descents and ascents
During training, support the child by the shoulders, in extreme cases, by the seat. Do not hold the steering wheel - the child must learn to control the bike and choose the direction of movement himself.
How to quickly and correctly teach a child to ride a bike?
- If a child knows how to ride a tricycle on his own, then he understands the general principle of riding and he only needs to be taught to keep his balance. But this is the most difficult.
- If the child has not ridden a tricycle, then it is recommended to first teach him on a four-wheeled bicycle. Additional side wheels make it easier to adapt. They allow the child to safely get used to the transport, learn to feel it, move off, brake, turn.
- Using a four-wheeler as an intermediate step makes the learning process somewhat easier, but also significantly lengthens it. In any case, the child will have to be taught to keep balance by holding the bike while riding.
- Therefore, many parents recommend teaching their child to ride a two-wheeled bicycle right away. Especially if the stage of riding a tricycle has been passed and the child has reached the age when he is able to control all the moments
- Try not to create a stir around training, do not invite viewers. It is better to go somewhere where there are practically no people, especially children. Spectators will cause internal tension in the child and it will be more difficult for him to master the skills of riding.
- Do not arrange competitions in the early stages, do not compare it with anyone. The child will think about anything but learning
Safety is the most important condition for successful learning How to teach a child to balance on a bicycle?
Initially, it is better to practice balance on a scooter:
- Show how to ride a scooter, better by your own example, pronouncing absolutely all the actions
- Then offer the scooter to the child so that he tries to ride on his own
- When the child learns not to be afraid of the scooter, awaken the spirit of excitement in him with words like: "Let's see how far you can drive without touching the ground at the expense of 1,2,3 ...!" or "Let's get to that bush!"
- If the child has traveled further than the previous time, it is worth encouraging him by telling him how many meters, seconds, etc. he traveled. But do not praise, so as not to bring down the desire to improve
- Now you can ride your bike
If there is no scooter, then you can use the bike itself:
- Remove the wheel located near the pushing leg from it (if the child pushes off with the right foot, remove the right pedal). Example (jogging - right foot): the child throws the right foot over the bike and puts it on the ground, and puts the left foot on the pedal. You can't sit on the seat right away. The child must accelerate, pushing off with his right foot, and only after that sit on the seat and ride
- When the child can hold on like this for 50-60 seconds, the pedal can be returned to its place and begin to teach the child to pedal
If there is a run bike, then you can first learn to keep balance on it, and then switch to a bicycle:
- Remove all pedals from the bike so that the child gets used to riding it in the same way as on a run bike
- Then attach one pedal to the bike and teach your child to ride it like a scooter. The process is detailed above.
The main thing is that the child always feels your support and approval.
Video: How to teach a child to ride a bike in one day?
How to teach a child to pedal a bicycle?
The main thing in this is that the child understands the principle of pedaling.
- Raise the drive wheel off the floor. If there are additional wheels, then put them on a small hill: a book, slippers. The drive wheel will not turn.
- Put a child on a bike, let him learn to pedal “idle”. If necessary, you can help by commanding which foot to press on the pedal. Usually children understand the principle very quickly.
- Now you can let the child out to master the road
Video: How to teach a child to pedal?
Riding rules for children on a bicycle
The first workouts are the hardest. They are full of fears and worries. To facilitate the adaptation process, it is worth following some rules.
- The child must have appropriate protective equipment: a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads. Too large/small protective equipment will interfere
- Shoes should have a wide, non-slippery sole and be firmly fixed on the foot. The smooth sole often slips off the pedal, which can lead to leg injury and even a fall.
- Choose the right bike for your child's age and height. Adjust the seat so that in a sitting position, the child can reach the ground with both feet, and the steering wheel is no higher than the chest. If something goes wrong, the child will be able to keep the balance
- For study, a place with smooth asphalt is suitable, where there are no cars, a large crowd of people and a lot of room for maneuvering - a stadium, a school yard, etc.
The main thing is to enjoy every moment of communication with your child, and whether he learns to ride a bicycle or not is not so important in life.
Video: How to teach a child to ride a bike?
