The Magic of Learning to Ride A Bike

Spring is here despite the ever-changing weather we have been having!  My younger daughter, Sophie, just mastered the 2-wheeler and now ALL she wants to do is ride her bike.  So lately we’ve been out bike riding every chance we get (when its not raining, well, even in the rain sometimes!)

We often just get out there and ride while I chase after her or now that she’s really confident, we’ll go opposite directions and meet around the block.  What has been awesome is that all the kids in the neighborhood start riding together. What initially was mastery of a new skill, has turned into a big social opportunity.

This is an opportunity that we don’t want any of our kids to miss out on!  

I have worked with kids who need various modifications to make biking successful and fun and some kids who simply need the learning process broken down into little bites.  

You know that “AHA Moment” when people learn how to ride a bike?  That moment is actually when we realize a very specific response to the bike leaning to either side, and guess what?  It can be taught! For our kids that need more specific instruction for learning new skills, teaching this directly can take a lot of frustration out of the process for them AND for the parents.

Some great tools for kids to learn are using balance bikes.  Kids can learn to glide and practice balancing without needing to pedal.  You can also remove pedals from a regular bike to accomplish the same thing!

For kids who have trouble keeping their feet on pedals, velcro straps can help with that piece.  

If your child has trouble starting up the bike, practicing on a small hill will let gravity give them a jump start and with more independence than you giving it a push!

Need more help to teach your child to ride a 2-wheeler or 2 find the right adapted bike for them?

Set up a phone call with one of our therapists and let’s come up with a plan for success together. It is never too early or too late to learn!  There’s nothing better than that moment of “I’m doing it! I’m doing it!”