As with swimming, reading, writing and other skills, many families and educators wonder at what age children can learn to ride a bike and what are the best guidelines to start. Before revealing the most appropriate age to start pedaling, it is important to highlight the numerous benefits of riding a bike for children: it is beneficial for their heart, it helps them maintain an active lifestyle and have fun outdoors, it strengthens their system immune, develops their muscles, improves coordination and balance and also their resistance and respiratory capacity.
It also has many advantages on a psychological level: bike rides and excursions teach children to respect rules and learn road safety education, to socialize and strengthen ties with their family and friends, to learn from nature and take care of their environment.
Most experts agree that the ideal age for children to start riding bikes is 3 years old, an ideal time for tricycles and balance bikes.
At 4 or 5 years old, they can move on to bicycles with pedals and wheels, and then remove the latter when they begin to handle the handlebars well and control their balance.
However, each child is different. Although it is common for them to learn to ride a bicycle without additional support in the age group between 3 and 8 years old, adapt to their rhythm, listen to their body and prioritize their safety when teaching them. It's never too late to learn if you prefer to start later.
Advantages of riding a balance bike
Children can start using a balance bike from approximately 18 months of age, a great prior preparation to develop their physical abilities.
These balance bikes allow them to explore, later transition to a bike with training wheels, and above all, explore their balance. It is highly recommended that your children start with these bikes to gain competitions naturally and progressively, without risks.
Why are they great for getting started? This type of bike helps promote 3 key aspects of child development: coordination of movements, orientation and autonomy. They are also great for your little ones to gain strength in their arms and legs and have more confidence and self-assurance to overcome upcoming difficulties.
At Cucamenta we have 2-stage balance bikes : they are designed for children aged 1 to 4 years, and allow them to practice on a stable double-width wheel before switching to a standard wheel as they gain confidence.
You will find them in two tones: blue and pink . The handle is specially designed for little hands, the seat and handlebars are adjustable, and the rubber wheels are durable and puncture-proof. Don't forget the helmet !
And remember to use them in a safe area, and to wear the most comfortable clothes and shoes possible to have a great time.
As extra tips so that you can help them start their adventure on wheels, make sure that the child is in a good position on the balance bike and that they practice in a place without obstacles, traffic or people, flat and well paved (or even on grass).
At first, you can stand next to him and grab the handlebars, hold him lightly by his shoulders or back and little by little, see how he lets go. When you incorporate the pedal bicycle, it is key to teach them how to brake and stop, the basic safety rules and properly place the necessary protections.
Christopher Morley said that the bicycle will always be the vehicle of novelists and poets, and John Howard defined it as a curious vehicle, since "the passenger is its engine."
Today, it continues to be one of the most sustainable, environmentally friendly, fun and beneficial means of transportation for physical and mental health. What's better than sowing this seed as soon as possible in the little ones!
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