Teach your child to ride a bike
21/04/08 07:16 Filed in: Random
It looks like my bike learning method is working well
(by my, I mean the one I use not the one I created).
This weekend my 4.5 year old daughter successfully
rode her bike without training wheels. The problem is
that riding a bike is not easy, nor is it intuitive.
When riding a bike, and you are falling to the left,
what do you do? You TURN TO THE LEFT. What? That
doesn't make any sense. That is why bikes are
difficult, especially for kids.
Here is are my easy to follow steps. (I discuss some of the physics of bike riding that I looked up on the internet here)
Here is are my easy to follow steps. (I discuss some of the physics of bike riding that I looked up on the internet here)
1. Remove training wheels. Training wheels really
don't help a child learn to ride a bike. The only
thing they help with is learning how to pedal, but
they can get that skill from tricycle.
2. Remove the pedals. Just the pedals, not the crank shaft. This is usually fairly easy to do. Removing the pedals allows the child to put his/her feet on the ground and push.
3. If the child can sit on the seat and fully put both feet on the ground, skip this step. Otherwise, remove the seat and put some type of pad over the post. It is important that the child sit on the bike and be able to lift both feet up but also firmly place both feet on the ground. I used an old scrap of burlap rug.
4. Get the child to walk around on the bike until they start to get the feel for it. Encourage them to push with both feet at the same time instead of walking. This will make them have both feet off the ground at the same time. Have them play a game where they can see how long they can keep their feet off the ground. It is very useful to do this on a very slight downward slope.
5. Work on step 4 every day for about a week. Once the child can hold both feet off the ground for around 5 seconds, he/she should be ready for the next step.
6. Put the pedals and seat back on. When the child is on the bike, support the child from either one or both underarms. This way you can prevent the child from falling, but the child still has the ability to steer and lean as needed. If the child is doing really well, you can just place your hand on the child's shoulder. This is a great position to support the child because you can easily feel how much they need your help. You don't need to lie and say you are aren't going to let go, the child might feel comfortable enough to tell you to let go.
7. When the child is going by him/herself, there are a couple of skills to work on. First is stopping. One strategy for this is to just ride into the grass. The other skills needed are turning around and starting from a stop.
Good luck and good riding (oh, where a helmet). Oh, and don't do drugs.
- Good physics of bike riding site.
- Here is a great site about learning to ride a bike
2. Remove the pedals. Just the pedals, not the crank shaft. This is usually fairly easy to do. Removing the pedals allows the child to put his/her feet on the ground and push.
3. If the child can sit on the seat and fully put both feet on the ground, skip this step. Otherwise, remove the seat and put some type of pad over the post. It is important that the child sit on the bike and be able to lift both feet up but also firmly place both feet on the ground. I used an old scrap of burlap rug.
4. Get the child to walk around on the bike until they start to get the feel for it. Encourage them to push with both feet at the same time instead of walking. This will make them have both feet off the ground at the same time. Have them play a game where they can see how long they can keep their feet off the ground. It is very useful to do this on a very slight downward slope.
5. Work on step 4 every day for about a week. Once the child can hold both feet off the ground for around 5 seconds, he/she should be ready for the next step.
6. Put the pedals and seat back on. When the child is on the bike, support the child from either one or both underarms. This way you can prevent the child from falling, but the child still has the ability to steer and lean as needed. If the child is doing really well, you can just place your hand on the child's shoulder. This is a great position to support the child because you can easily feel how much they need your help. You don't need to lie and say you are aren't going to let go, the child might feel comfortable enough to tell you to let go.
7. When the child is going by him/herself, there are a couple of skills to work on. First is stopping. One strategy for this is to just ride into the grass. The other skills needed are turning around and starting from a stop.
Good luck and good riding (oh, where a helmet). Oh, and don't do drugs.
- Good physics of bike riding site.
- Here is a great site about learning to ride a bike
