How and when to teach kids to ride a tricycle

As a newly blessed parent, you would be pretty anxious about your child’s “firsts”—his first walk, his first word and so much more. 

But when can your child ride his first bike? Usually, when a child turns 2 years old, he is encouraged to attempt to sit and move around in a tricycle. By the time your child turns 4, you can easily find them pedaling around and regulating the bike efficiently. 

According to many pediatricians and experts, encouraging your child to engage in physical activities and enjoy the outdoor life is very important. It builds their stamina and confidence from a young age. During the early years, you can push your child to use a walker to encourage physical movement and independent play. 

By the age of 1 to 2 years old, a toddler tends to develop the gross motor skills required to pedal a trike – although obviously, all children grow at a different pace. 

Here, read on to know different ways to help your child ride a tricycle. 

1. Start with a Trike 

Here’s a proven way for all beginners, to teach your child to ride a smaller version of a tricycle. Once your baby learns to coordinate and masters the handling of the trike, he can move on to a bigger tricycle. 

A lot of tricycles are designed with parental control so you can help your toddler in his learning process. You can also choose to buy a push trike for your baby as many kids can master the skill of pushing by their feet. 

2. Choose the right-sized tricycle

Introduce your child to the right tricycle. It is very important for your child to feel comfortable while learning the whole process. To ensure the appropriate height of the tricycle, make sure your toddler’s feet are well-placed on the pedals, with his knees bent slightly. Also, do ensure your toddler is able to reach the handlebars easily. 

3. Teach Pedaling

It was very essential for you to guide your child to develop good motor skills. Learning how to pedal can help them improve their coordination, boost your kid’s confidence, and encourages them to engage in more outdoor activities. Physical activity can increase your child’s muscular strength and enhance postural stability. 

To help him pedal, you can start by making him understand the mechanism of how the tricycle moves forward by pushing the pedals.

4. Make Safety your first priority! 

It is very necessary for the parent to be diligent and patient the entire time, but it is also safe to take extra precautions. Make your child wear a helmet every time he gets on his tricycle. It is important you explain to him the importance of taking precautions and always wearing safety essentials. Along with it, you can also get him fitting elbow and knee pads. 

It is important you never allow them to ride their tricycles without putting on the safety gear.