Parents everywhere are turning to balancing bikes for their toddlers and for a good reason. With a whole slew of benefits for children, like improving gross motor skills to promoting exercise in a fun way, these bikes should be a staple in any home where there’s a toddler.
In this post, we’ll share information about balance bikes—what they are, the benefits, and where you can get one. Then you can decide if this sounds like something find for your little one.
What Is a Balancing Bike?
The chances are good that you’ve seen one or two of these when you’re out and about in the neighborhood. They look a lot like traditional bikes, but they don’t have pedals or chains. They’re low to the ground, have the two wheels like a normal bicycle, and the seat and handles.
Balancing bikes are small enough where your toddler can put their feet on the ground. They’ll leave their feet and put them on posts or a bar when they go but can put them back down easily anytime they need to. Kids will have fun while learning to balance themselves on a two-wheeled bike simultaneously.
The Benefits
There are several benefits you and your kids get from using a balance bike. Below is a list of some.
Gross Motor Skill Development
It is probably the biggest benefit. Children will learn balance and coordination by using a balancing bike. Those things transfer over to a lot of activities. Sports, activities like dancing and gymnastics, and just general physicality will all be easier or better for kids who’ve been working with a balance bike.
Balancing like this will also help prevent injuries. Kids will be strengthening their core muscles when using these bikes. That, coupled with improved balance and better coordination will make it easier for them to avoid getting hurt sometimes.
Safety
Balancing bikes are generally safer than bicycles with training wheels or tricycles are. Because of the bike, your child will have the natural instinct to put his or her feet down if they feel they’re falling. Using training wheels doesn’t teach that instinct. Children will be more likely to fall because they keep their feet on the pedals.
Tricycles are slow, and sometimes low to the ground, depending on what type your child has. Being so low to the ground is a safety concern as people driving in the neighborhood may not see the child well. Also, tricycles are more prone to falling over.
Faster Progression Toward a Pedal Bike
While training wheels are great for instilling confidence in kids when they’re trying to ride a bike, they can turn into a crutch hard to break them away from later.
Balance bikes make children have to learn to balance on two wheels from the start. Kids as young as 18 months old sometimes can ride on a balance bike. Then when time to learn how to pedal a two-wheeler bike, they already know how to balance themselves, so it’s an easier transition.
Many parents find that children who start on a balancing bike can progress faster toward riding a traditional pedal bike. Training wheels and tricycles can be good tools for getting started too, but kids rarely transition as quickly to riding on two wheels.
Where Can You Get One?
Ready to get a balance bike for your little one? Check out Banwood. They have a variety of balancing bikes to choose from that are perfect for toddlers. Your kids will be riding on two wheels quickly.
