A bicycle for the health and entertainment of a child. Riding a bicycle is very beneficial for a child

Where to begin

The best age for learning to ride a bicycle is from 3 to 6 years. The exact timing depends on the child’s developmental level and comfort. Do not force learning when the child has no desire.
If you are thinking about a bicycle in advance, buy a balance bike. You can ride it from 1.5 years old. By riding a balance bike, your child will quickly learn to balance and turn and gain confidence. All this will help him later on the pedal bike.

Excellent brands of balance bikes are Woom (more suitable for daily walks), Early Rider (excellent for sports achievements, many children appreciated them as sports equipment in various balance bike races).

The brands Puky, Strider, Runbike and Kokua also have good balance bikes.

If your child does not have a balance bike, you can unscrew the pedals from a regular bicycle to start learning. After riding such an improvised balance bike for several hours, days or weeks, the baby will also learn to maintain balance. This will make further training easier.

Choosing a bike. Height and weight

Frame size is the most important characteristic for your first pedal bike. The top tube of the frame should not touch the child’s groin, and he should stand with his full foot on the ground.

Do not buy a bicycle for growth - it will be difficult for a child to independently start and control a bicycle with a very large frame. This can make learning difficult or stalled.

The lighter the bike, the better. Getting started on a steel bicycle, which often weighs as much as a child, requires adult help. A child can accelerate and stop a lightweight aluminum bicycle on his own. This bike is easier to control and easier to carry up stairs.

Choosing a bike. Some details

The better a bicycle is adapted for children, the easier it is for children to learn to ride it. Rim brakes are better than foot brakes; they brake more effectively and do not cause accidental falls if a child pedals backwards. Small brake handles are more convenient to press, a small distance between the pedals will allow you to place your feet parallel, and not spread wide - it will be easier to pedal.

But side wheels are optional and even undesirable; they help you learn how to pedal, but they interfere with learning how to maintain balance and turn your body, and these are more important skills for controlling a bicycle.

Bicycles adapted to children's anatomy are made by several specialized companies., for example, the English Frog Bikes and the Austrian Woom Bikes. In terms of price, these brands are 20-30% more expensive than more or less adequate decent, but still too heavy, bicycle models for children. In addition, these brands lose much less value over time. Many people sell them after two seasons of riding on Avito for only 25-30% cheaper than they bought them. So it's a good investment.

Training area and driving techniques

Find an area with smooth asphalt or dirt, wide, without cars and without obstacles. An empty parking lot or sports field will do.
Start learning to ride a pedal bike when the child is already confident in handling a balance bike or a bicycle without pedals: accelerating, riding with legs raised and turning.
Lower the saddle so that the child sits on the bike with his full foot touching the ground, this position will give him confidence.

Teach your child to find the pedals without looking. To do this, ask him, while sitting on a bicycle, to close his eyes, raise his legs, bending them at the knees, and gradually lower them, feeling the pedals.

Place the pedals in the starting position, with one pedal at the top and slightly forward. Place your baby on the bike and hold him by the body. Have him place one foot on the top pedal while keeping the other on the ground, then press down on the pedal to start moving and pull the other foot onto the second pedal. If the bike is too heavy for your child to move on his own, give him a gentle push.

While moving, hold your child without force. by the waist, shoulder or body, in order to stabilize its position, you can also lightly (not harshly) hold it by the saddle for insurance. Do not hold the bike by the handlebars, as this will interfere with your child’s ability to control balance.
Tell your baby to look forward and not at the ground when moving, this will help him move more smoothly.

Braking

If the bike has rim brakes, start by showing how to use them without getting on the bike. To do this, let your child walk while driving the bike. Let him press the handles and see what happens, how the bicycle stops with strong or weak pressure. This will prepare the child to stop in motion.
You can learn to use the foot brake only while moving. Hold your child, ask him to turn the pedals back and draw his attention to what is happening.

Adviсe

Don't forget about safety. Be sure to wear a suitable helmet on your child that will not press or slide down, blocking the view. You can add cycling gloves that will protect your hands from scratches, and for the first time also knee pads and elbow pads.
Don't make learning boring. Do not force your child to exercise if he is in a bad mood or tired. Such training will not help and may discourage you from riding.
Take your time. If this year your training is not going well, perhaps you should postpone it until next year or switch to other types of activities.

Fun learning to ride a bike in games for kids preschool age.

Which bike to choose for a child? What games and exercises teach you how to ride a bike? Traditional and non-traditional approaches to teaching a child to ride a bicycle.

You will find answers to these questions in the article.

Summer! We spend a lot of time outside! It's time to learn how to ride a bike! Before teaching your child, you need, of course, to choose the right bike for your child. There is a huge selection of bicycles in stores, but not every bicycle is safe for a child.

How to choose the right bike for a preschool child (from 2 to 7 years old). Requirements for a bicycle for children:

1. The main thing is not the beauty or brightness of the bike’s colors and “additional decorations,” but the safety of the bike for the child:
plastic mounts are undesirable on a bicycle for a preschooler,
the quality of brakes in bicycles for children is very important,
the chain in a bicycle for a preschooler must be covered (at least in his first bicycle),
all bolts must be tightened,
pedals and wheels should turn easily, desirable additional insurance

from injuries for the little ones - this is a soft covering for the handlebars of a children's bicycle.

2. The bicycle should be comfortable for the child:
Children's bicycle tires must be wide and stable,
>if a child sits on the seat, he should freely reach the pedals with his heel,
A bicycle model with an adjustable seat height is desirable.

the seat should be soft and comfortable. 3.When choosing a bicycle, it is advisable to provide for the possibility of lifting

two additional wheels.

You will see what all these characteristics of the “correct bicycle” for a preschool child look like in the video below.

How to teach a child to ride a bike? Fun learning to ride a bike in games for preschool children.

There are different approaches to teaching preschool children to ride a bicycle.

The first approach is traditional. It involves the transition from a 4-wheeled bicycle to a 2-wheeled one.

Video: Fun learning to ride a bike for preschool children.

There is a wonderful video about games that help teach a child to ride a bike. From it you will learn:

What games will help teach a child to brake when riding a bicycle?
How to gradually transition from riding a 4-wheeler to riding a 2-wheeler?
What games will help your child learn to turn when riding a bicycle?
An old traditional, but not very well known to modern parents, way to help a child learn to maintain balance when riding a 2-wheeled bicycle.

Enjoy watching!

An unconventional way to teach your child to ride a bike in one day!

On the Internet, I found a surprisingly interesting video of a dad who developed his own method of teaching his five-year-old daughter to ride a two-wheeled bicycle. This technique is very logical, step-by-step and playful, well-founded and structured! And very “childish” in spirit, i.e. taking into account the characteristics of the child and his interests. I highly recommend meeting her in this video!

The non-traditional method of teaching cycling is structured in a completely different way and differs from the traditional one. It is based on the child’s ability to push off with his foot and maintain balance when riding a scooter (if you don’t have a scooter, then don’t worry, this is not a hindrance). Dad developed a series of games for his daughter that helps her learn how to ride a 2-wheeled bicycle right away without switching from a 4-wheeled one. It is designed for children 5 years and older.

You can meet her in this video - How to teach a child to ride a bike in one day!

If you have your own successful or not so successful experience of teaching your child to ride a bicycle. Or you have come up with your own games that will help or have already helped teach a preschooler to ride a bike, then I will be glad if you share this experience in the comments.

Stages of learning and parental assistance

Riding a bike by yourself is such a thrill! Learning to ride can be started in earnest from early preschool age, because the body quickly adapts to new skills, and the fear of falling is minimized.

STAGES OF LEARNING CYCLING

You can develop a child’s interest in cycling from an early age thanks to stable tricycles. Then comes the period of mastering a two-wheeled “horse” with additional wheels that ensure balance is maintained. And of course, the real reward for all children is the day when parents allow them to ride only on two wheels!

THE BEGINNING OF TIME -TRICYCLE

Learning to ride a tricycle often begins when the child is still walking poorly. With their help, children are easily accustomed to steering and pedaling. You don’t have to force your child to ride – it’s enough to buy a three-wheeler and leave it in sight so that the child can independently begin research activities.

Most children intuitively understand what to do with a new toy over time. However, to speed up the process, you can clearly show that the pedals turn with their feet, and the steering wheel turns in any direction. It is difficult for preschool children to reach high speed on a tricycle, which makes it ideal for walking in the park or in the front yard. While parents walk at their own pace, kids master skating.

TWO WHEEL BICYCLE WITH SAFETY WHEELS

It's hard to find a child who wouldn't want to ride a bike. However, no matter how dexterous and strong your kids are, you cannot immediately put children on two-wheeled models and deprive them of support. By rushing to buy an “adult” one, there is a high chance that your child will develop a deep-seated fear of riding a bicycle!

The safest way to start learning “adult riding” is to master riding a two-wheeled bicycle that has additional safety wheels. Training wheels are mounted at different heights depending on the child's skills. First, they are installed closer to the ground to ensure maximum balance and teach the baby to take their existence into account when turning. Gradually, the wheels are raised higher and higher (in secret from the baby), until it becomes obvious that the child no longer needs to be secured and he has excellent balance!

The nuances of riding a bicycle with safety wheels:

At the beginning of training, the child should be informed that it is impossible to turn at high speed and that you need to slow down before turns to avoid falling. Many preschool children experience their first bumps on two-wheelers only because they are accustomed to the stability of their first tricycles.
It is important to teach children not only to maintain balance, but also to correctly calculate the reaction of equipment to impact. For example, when braking, the rear wheel will slow down differently on a straight paved road or on a dirt surface with bumps. It is important to draw the attention of a preschool child to this circumstance and teach him to carefully monitor the condition of the bicycle.
Parents need to take care of the correct installation of safety wheels. An extremely common mistake is when the training wheels are mounted at the same level as the rear wheel - this leads to loss of control on an uneven surface (bumps, holes).
Safety wheels are located on at different levels from the ground so as not to touch the surface when braking, otherwise the brakes may become completely useless. They need to be installed at different levels, and not a single wheel should touch the ground when the bike is in an upright position. They protect children from loss of balance and falling, but do not replace the need to maintain balance.

Preschool age is characterized by rapid learning to ride a bicycle. It is enough to go on regular bike rides so that the need for training wheels will quickly disappear on its own. Have you noticed that for the last two or three days the baby has excellent balance while driving and the extra wheels have stopped touching the ground? This means that the time has come to get rid of them - the child can already be released into “free swimming”!

INDEPENDENT CYCLING RIDE ON TWO WHEEL BICYCLE

The moment when parents take off the training wheels will delight any child! Therefore, you can make a real holiday out of it, be sure to tell your child that he is ready to ride a bike “like an adult.”

Parental help

Most children of preschool age (5-6 years old) have excellent balance and quickly learn to react to emerging obstacles. However, when first trying to ride without training wheels, the supportive presence of parents is important. Mainly, parental participation at this stage comes down to psychological support. But you cannot distance yourself from the child and leave him alone with the road! Parents should hold the child by the shoulders, demonstrating their presence, and run next to the bicycle.

At this stage, the baby will mainly learn to steer - it is quite difficult at first to correctly point the bike in the right direction. It is important not to tell a preschool child where to go - this will teach him to make independent decisions. Will it hit a curb, puddle or hole? Great! Will understand that actions lead to certain consequences. Parents just need to show that if they get into trouble, they need to make an effort to get themselves and their bike out of the danger zone. Such training is very useful for developing independence in a young child of preschool age.

INDIVIDUAL TRIPS

Riding a bicycle without parental participation is the final cycle of learning. You should not push your child to travel independently; the child should feel that he no longer needs the constant help of his parents!

Do you already see that the child is able to ride independently, but the baby does not want to be left without your support? For preschool age, it is useful to hear words of approval and pride from parents for any new achievements. Therefore, praise your child for how deftly he rides a bicycle, trying to say more and more often that he is already doing everything himself!

Sometimes you have to use a trick to relieve your baby of the need for parental assistance. Go for a walk with your friends and tell your child that you will help him ride a bike, but a little later - when you have finished an important conversation. Children of this age begin to languish with boredom after 10-15 minutes of waiting, so they will not be able to resist the temptation and try to ride on their own!

Coordination of movements

The benefits of cycling for a child: three years invaluable. After all, such an activity trains the vestibular apparatus, allows you to learn to coordinate your movements, work with your arms and legs at the same time, and maintain balance. With each trip, the child becomes more and more dexterous and confident in his abilities (which will have a positive effect on both his sports skills and his character).

And yet, many doctors do not recommend teaching a child to ride a bicycle until the age of three. At this age, the abdominal muscles of babies are still weak, and serious physical activity can cause the development of a hernia. But “passive riding” is considered quite safe - that is, putting the child on a bicycle, put his feet on the stand so that he does not reach the pedals, and, holding the handlebars and saddle, ride him around the apartment or on the playground. Don’t even doubt it – your little one will definitely love it!

Muscles are toned

Thanks to cycling, the calf and other muscles of the lower extremities, abs and pelvis develop. Therefore, cycling will help you avoid many problems in adulthood (for example, various violations functioning of the genital organs).

Skating is of great importance for children with flat feet. By working with the legs, the child eliminates the slightest signs of illness and strengthens the muscles of the feet. However, parents should ensure that their feet are positioned correctly. The baby should only rest on the pedals with his fingers. The rest of the foot should remain unused.

Correct posture

The bicycle develops well the long muscles of the body, that is, a natural muscle corset that strengthens the spine and prevents it from bending. Therefore, a child who rides a bicycle from early childhood will have beautiful posture in the future. Cycling is also recommended as a therapeutic procedure for children with x-shaped legs. By placing a wide bar between the child’s legs, you can correct their curvature (a specialist can tell you more about this).

Beautiful figure

If a child is overweight, then various complexes may develop against its background. This is especially true for teenagers. But the problem has a simple solution. Cycling normalizes metabolism and helps burn extra calories. The figure of a developing girl becomes slimmer, and future boys have a clearer muscle definition.

Hardy Heart

While cycling, blood vessels and heart muscle are strengthened. The overall endurance of the body increases significantly. Thanks to this, your child will feel better, be less tired, and difficulties in school and sports will be much easier to overcome. Again, this will have the best impact on the formation of his life attitudes. It’s not for nothing that they say: “in a healthy body there is spirit!”

Healthy lungs

Cycling on fresh air, like most sports, are excellent training for the respiratory system. As a result, the volume of the lungs increases, which increases the oxygen content in the blood. Each organ begins to function better, tissue regeneration accelerates, efficiency increases, brain function improves, and the risk of developing depressive conditions and chronic fatigue syndrome decreases.

Good vision

A teenager, riding a bicycle, is forced to look into the distance ahead of him, and with peripheral vision to see what is nearby. At this time, the eye muscles are trained, which become more elastic. This prevention of myopia is especially important for those who spend a lot of time reading books, computers, or smartphones (very often these activities lead to vision deterioration).

Strong immunity

Thanks to regular cycling, appetite improves and the body’s defense against infectious diseases. The immune system becomes virtually invulnerable to infectious and colds. But it is important to consider that this effect can only be achieved by training in the park or outside the city, where the air is saturated with negative onons and phytoncides. On the contrary, “riding” in urban exhaust gas clouds can cause serious harm to the health of both children and adults.

Nervous system

Teenagers spend a lot of time at school, at their desks. Then they are forced to sit for several more hours to complete homework. Cycling calms the nervous system, helps fight stress and distracts from unpleasant thoughts. Cycling makes it easier to cope with study loads, and sleep becomes more restful and sound.

Concentration of attention

A young cyclist needs to perform several actions at once: hold the steering wheel, pedal and watch the road so as not to bump into obstacles. For a small child riding on the sidewalk, pedestrians and animals can be obstacles. And for a teenager who explores the surroundings with interest on his two-wheeled vehicle, knowledge and compliance with the rules becomes relevant traffic.

Positive mood

Fresh air and physical activity lead to the production of endorphins - the very hormones that make a person happy, energetic and contribute to a positive perception of the world around him. As a result, after a walk, the child will remain in high spirits and feel great for a long time.

Socialization

With the advent of a bicycle, the child begins to gravitate towards children with a similar hobby. Agree, uniting on the principle of love for sports is a great thing! Thus, a bicycle helps you make new friends with whom you can spend hours roaming the streets, making exciting trips and sharing experiences.