Toddler Bikes: A Cute Addition to the Family Garage
Have you ever driven past a neighbor’s house and seen all the years of bikes in the garage? It’s kind of like passing by a window full of kittens, or seeing the structures kids have built in a sandbox. It’s hard not to think with nostalgia of your first bike, of how it felt making those first turns and cruising over to your friends’ house, freed finally from the need to ask your mom or dad for yet another ride, freed from waiting for what seemed like hours for that ride. For a child, a bike represents a sense of freedom. Being able to ride a bike, even as a toddler, opens up the possibilities for all sorts of adventures and exploration that was not previously possible on two feet. For a parent, buying that first bike can be a little scary.
Having a few toddler bikes in your garage will give you a little jolt of happiness every time you pass by. You’ll know that all is right in the world, now that you have a few very time-sensitive (it’s astounding how fast these kids grow up!) pieces of your kid’s childhood sitting next to your family-size sedan in the garage. Seeing those guys learn how to ride and pedal around on these things is going to be one of the major memories you have of them, and years later, when they’re in college and you’re finally clearing out all of the toys they’ve used throughout their childhood, you’ll come across these bikes, now faded and scratched and dented, and you’ll think back on the day you finally decided to get the first one. A little bicycle is the perfect gift for kids, too!
When you are going about buying a toddler bike, think about what will make your kid happiest. Do they want a certain color? Does your little girl want a Spiderman bike because she’s obsessed with this particular superhero? Does your little boy, for whatever reason, insist on bright pink and purple streamers with a doll carrier? Go with it. We've moved past the days of having specific 'bikes for boys' or 'bikes for girls'. A bike can be a wonderful way for your child to start expressing his or her personality, and it can be exciting to see what they choose. And the options for customization are endless. Ps. Teenage mutant ninja turtles are back in style!
A bike does so many things for a child. Learning to ride helps with coordination (developing their proprioception as well, their ability to perceive where their body is exactly in space, which will come in handy later for a wide variety of sports), their sense of balance, and their ability to navigate and recognize where they are. It strengthens their legs. It gets them away from the TV screen and sends them outside. It gets them in the habit of wanting to go outside, and allows them to feel more in charge of where they are and how they got there. What’s not to love? Of course, there may be the occasional skinned knee, but toddler bikes will generally give them the skills they need, in terms of balance and steering, to make injuries less likely down the line. With your kids and their toddler bikes, you can now roam the neighborhood a bit more before their legs get tired. You can cruise through the park, or around a friend’s yard. You can go on morning rides before breakfast. The options are endless. And they’re a great activity for those who will go on to play sports in school like basketball, soccer, tennis, swimming, or gymnastics, as the sense of balance, for instance, they develop can be applied to each of these. It also teaches children how to learn a new skill and how to improve. They remember that they had to practice for a long time before they could ride around easily, which is a satisfying and rewarding experience. And when they’re trying to learn to swim, for instance, you can remind them how hard riding their bike was for them at first, and how they practiced often and soon could cruise around without any help.
We like the bikes with heroes or cartoons on them. There are:
Spiderman Bikes
Ninja Turtle Bikes
Princess Bikes
Unicorn Bikes
Batman Bikes
There are bikes with streamers. There are bells you can add onto the bikes (be careful though, as these can get quite annoying). There are big-wheel bikes, and bikes with baskets. How to choose? It can be a little overwhelming, having so many options out there. We recommend taking your time to decide, and letting your toddler be a part of the process. Some people like to do the research first, and then to give their child two or three options.
Even if you’re buying a bike online, we recommend checking a few out in person as well, to give you a feel for what the bikes look like, and so that you can speak with a sales person to ask any questions, if you have any. You’ll want to make sure, of course, that you’re buying a bike that’s a good fit for your child. We’ve all ridden bikes that haven’t quite fit us, that were too tall or too short. It’s not the most comfortable experience, and it makes it harder to ride with good technique. Take the time to make sure that your child will enjoy sitting on the seat and can reach the ground or pedals without having to stretch or bend their legs too much.
It’s sometimes fun to watch a few videos online of other children biking, to inspire your kid to learn. If they’re growing frustrated, telling them about how you learned to ride can also be good. And remember, children learn in different ways. Some may want to see you ride your bike and watch you brake, pedal, and steer, so that they can imitate you. Others may want to listen to your instructions on what to do and when to do it. Others who learn by doing may not want to listen or watch at all, but rather just get on the bike and figure it out themselves. Good luck!
