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

Which bike to choose for a child? What games game exercises learning to ride a bike? Traditional and non-traditional approach 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 the kid, it is necessary, of course, to choose the right bike for the child. There is a huge selection of bicycles in stores, but not every bike is safe for a child.

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

1. The main thing is not the beauty or brightness of the colors of the bike and “additional decorations”, but the safety of the bike for the child:

• in a bicycle for a child - a preschooler, plastic mounts are undesirable,
• the quality of the brakes in bicycles for children is very important,
• the chain in a bicycle for a child - a preschooler must be covered (at least in his first bicycle),
• all bolts must be tightened,
• pedals and wheels should spin easily,
• additional insurance against injuries for the smallest is desirable - this is a soft steering wheel cover children's bike.

2. The bike must be comfortable for the child:

• children's bicycle tires must be wide and stable,
• > if the child sits on the seat, then he should freely reach the pedals with his heel,
• Desirable bike model with adjustable seat height.
• the seat should be soft and comfortable.

3. When choosing a bike, it is desirable to provide for the possibility of lifting two additional wheels.

This will help you first learn how to ride a 4- wheel bike, and then very smoothly move from it to 2 - wheeled. When crossing, we gradually raise these additional wheels, and then remove them completely. And you don't have to buy a new bike!

What do all these features look like? the right bike» for a preschool child you will see in the video below.

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

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

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

Video: Entertaining 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 slow down when riding a bike?
• How to gradually transition from riding a 4-wheeler to riding a 2-wheeler?
• What games will help the child learn the turns when riding a bike?
• An old traditional, but not very well-known way for modern parents to help a child learn to balance when riding a 2-wheeled bicycle.

Enjoy watching!

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

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

The non-traditional method of learning to ride a bicycle is built in a completely different way, and differs from the traditional one. It is based on the ability of a child to push off with his foot and maintain balance while riding a scooter (if you don’t have a scooter, then it’s not scary, this is not a hindrance). Dad has developed a series of games for his daughter, which helps to learn how to ride a 2-wheel bike right away without switching from a 4-wheel one. It is designed for children aged 5 and over.

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 very successful experience of teaching a child to ride a bicycle. Or you came 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.

A bicycle can be safely attributed to a very popular form of transportation for all age categories. Both adults and children appreciated all the advantages of this iron horse, which combines recreation, sports and mode of transport. It is difficult to overestimate all the benefits that the bike brings to our body. Especially when it comes to children's bodies. Moreover, a positive effect is observed not only on the physical condition of the crumbs, because the emotions of joy and pleasure that are amazing in strength are also an integral factor in cycling.

Moreover, almost every one of us is faced with a categorical rejection of the crumbs to perform morning exercises. The bicycle may well become an alternative to daily sports exercises, since riding it requires the active work of almost everything muscle complex child's body. So instead of mutual suffering associated with morning exercises, you can enjoy joint trips with your baby on a model bike STELS Pilot 110 12, enjoying spending time with the child and walking as such.

So what are the benefits of a bicycle for a baby? The process of cycling develops, first of all, all musculoskeletal system. Works not only muscular system, there is a load on the legs, back and arms. Moreover, this is an excellent prevention of flat feet. The child, making reciprocating movements with his legs, activates and forces the muscles of the legs and buttocks to be in good shape. Keeping balance, making turns and tilts while riding, the baby activates the back muscles, which forms the correct posture.

The movement process is automatically accompanied by more deep breathing facilitating ventilation and saturation oxygen blood. Therefore, it is advisable to prefer forest or just country walks. In addition, the child has a more effective work of the vestibular apparatus, mindfulness develops, which is useful not only for the health of the baby, but also for acquiring a number of other skills. Riding a bicycle, the child trains the visual apparatus, preventing the development of such frequent due to the huge load on the eyes, even in the lower grades of myopia. The baby's vision improves because he has to constantly focus it on various distant and near objects, which makes the muscles of the eyeball work hard. This is a great relaxation after writing exercises at school and reading.

Cycling is great simulator for of cardio-vascular system , since at this time the heart muscle is forced to function more intensively, which has a beneficial effect on its endurance. Rotational movements legs, which promote blood circulation through the vessels, are an excellent prevention of varicose phenomena. Children who prefer cycling to sedentary pastimes differ good health, excellent posture and a beautiful toned figure.

Today, bicycles are offered for sale as for the smallest, when management tricycle device a parent can take over or transfer driving to a baby, and for older children. Their design allows you to remove the side wheels, transforming the bike "for small" into almost "adult". Options two wheelers very different, and depend on the preferences and capabilities of the parents. When choosing an iron horse, it is better to take a child to the store, since the bike must correspond not only to the age and existing driving skills of the child, but also to his height and leg length.

Where to begin

The best age to learn to ride a bike is between 3 and 6 years old. The exact timing depends on the level of development and comfort of the child. Do not force to study when the child does not want to.
If you are thinking about a bike in advance, buy a balance bike. You can ride on it from 1.5 years. By controlling the balance bike, the child will quickly learn to balance and turn and gain confidence. All this will help him later on pedal bike.

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

Also good balance bikes from the brands Puky, Strider, Runbike and Kokua.

If the child did not have a balance bike, to start learning, you can unscrew the pedals from a regular bike. After riding for several hours, days or weeks on such an impromptu balance bike, the kid will also learn to keep balance. This will make further learning easier.

We choose a bike. Height and weight

Frame size is the most important specification for a first pedal bike. The upper tube of the frame should not touch the child's groin, and he himself should stand on the ground with a full foot.

Do not buy a bike for growth - it will be difficult for a child to start and control a bike on his own with a very big frame. This can hinder or hinder learning.

The lighter the bike, the better.. To get started on a steel bike, which often weighs the same weight as a child, you will need the help of adults. A lightweight aluminum bike the child will be able to disperse and stop on their own. This bike is easier to handle and easier to carry up stairs.

We choose a bike. Few details

How better bike adapted for children, the easier it is for children to learn to ride it. Rim brakes are better than foot brakes, they slow down more effectively and do not provoke accidental falls if the child pedals backwards. Small brake levers are more convenient to press, a small distance between the pedals will allow you to put your feet in parallel, and not wide apart - it will be easier to pedal.

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

Bicycles adapted to children's anatomy are made by several specialized companies. such as 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, bike models for children. In addition, these brands lose much less value over time. Many sell them after two seasons of skiing on Avito for only 25-30% cheaper than they bought. So it's a good investment.

Training area and driving technique

Find an area with flat asphalt or dirt, wide, without cars and without obstacles. An empty parking lot or a sports field is suitable.
Start learning to ride a pedal bike when the child is already confidently managing a balance bike or a bicycle without pedals: accelerating, riding with legs up and turning.
Lower the saddle so that the child sitting on the bike touches the ground with a full foot, such a position will give him confidence.

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

Put the pedals in the start position, one pedal should be up and slightly forward. Put the baby on the bike, hold it by the body. Have him put one foot on the top pedal while keeping the other foot on the ground, then step on the pedal to start moving and bring his other foot up to the second pedal. If the bike is too heavy and the child cannot push it on its own, lightly push it.

While moving without effort, hold the child by the waist, shoulder or body, in order to stabilize his position, you can also lightly (not hard) hold on to the saddle for insurance. Do not hold the bike behind the wheel, this will prevent the child from controlling the balance.
Tell your baby to look ahead and not at the ground while moving, this will help him move more evenly.

Braking

If the bike has rim brakes, first show how to use them without getting on the bike. To do this, let the child walk while driving a bicycle behind the wheel. Let him press the handles and see what happens, how the bike stops from strong or weak pressure. This will prepare the child to stop moving.
You can only learn to use the foot brake while driving. Hold the child, ask him to turn the pedals back and pay his attention to what is happening.

Adviсe

Don't forget about safety. Be sure to put on a suitable helmet for the baby, which will not press or slip, blocking the view. You can add cycling gloves that will protect your hands from scratches, and for the first time also knee pads with elbow pads.
Don't make learning boring. Do not force your child to train if he is in a bad mood or he is tired. Such training will not help and may discourage skating.
Do not hurry. If there is no training this year, it may be worth postponing it to the next year or switching to other types of activities.

Are there any benefits to cycling? And, if so, which one? Today we will try to find out why doctors and psychologists unanimously repeat: a bicycle should become the same obligatory attribute of childhood as soft toys. Moreover, for the health and well-being of a teenager, a high-quality “iron horse” will also not be an unnecessary luxury. Judge for yourself - before you is a weighty and very convincing list of obvious advantages ...

Movement coordination

The benefits of cycling for a child from three years old are invaluable. After all, such an activity trains the vestibular apparatus, allows you to learn how to coordinate your movements, work simultaneously with your arms and legs, and keep your balance. With each trip, the child becomes more and more dexterous and self-confident (which will positively affect both 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 in babies are still weak, and serious physical exertion can cause a hernia to develop. But “passive riding” is considered quite safe - that is, putting the child on a bicycle, put his feet on a stand so that he does not reach the pedals, and, holding the steering wheel and saddle, ride him around the apartment or on the playground. Don't hesitate - your little one will love it!

Muscles in tone

Cycling develops calf and other muscles lower extremities, press and pelvis. Therefore, cycling will help to avoid many problems at an older age (for example, various disorders of the genital organs).

Of great importance is skating with children's flat feet. By working with his feet, the child eliminates the slightest signs of illness and strengthens the muscles of the feet. However, parents should monitor the correct setting of the legs. The kid should rest on the pedals only with his fingers. The rest of the foot should remain unused.

Correct posture

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

beautiful figure

If a child has excessive fullness, then various complexes can develop against its background. This is especially true for teenagers. But the problem has a simple solution. Cycling improves your metabolism and helps you burn extra calories. The figure of an emerging girl becomes more slender, and in future boys, the muscle relief becomes clearer.

hardy heart

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

healthy lungs

Outdoor cycling, like most sports, is a great workout for respiratory system. As a result, the volume of the lungs increases, thereby increasing the oxygen content in the blood. Each organ begins to function better, tissue regeneration accelerates, efficiency increases, brain function improves, the risk of depressive states and chronic fatigue syndrome decreases.

Good vision

A teenager, moving on a bicycle, is forced to look into the distance in front of him, and with peripheral vision - to see what is nearby. At this time, the eye muscles are trained, which become more elastic. Such prevention of myopia is especially important for those who spend a lot of time reading books, a computer, a smartphone (very often these activities lead to visual impairment).

Strong immunity

Regular cycling improves appetite and strengthens the body's defense against infectious diseases. Immunity becomes almost invulnerable to infectious and colds. But it is important to consider that this effect can only be achieved by exercising in a park or outside the city, where the air is saturated with negative onions and phytoncides. On the contrary, “rolling” in urban clouds of exhaust gases can cause serious harm to the health of both a child and an adult.

Nervous system

Teenagers spend a lot of time at school, at their desks. Then they have to sit for a few more hours doing their homework. Cycling is soothing nervous system, helps fight stress and distracts from unpleasant thoughts. Cycling makes it easier to cope with training loads, and sleep becomes more calm and sound.

Concentration of attention

A young cyclist needs to perform several actions at once: hold the steering wheel, pedal and follow the road so as not to stumble upon 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 transport, knowledge and observance of the rules of the road becomes relevant.

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 them. As a result, after a walk, the child will retain high spirits and excellent health for a long time.

Socialization

With the advent of the bicycle, the child begins to reach out to children with a similar hobby. Agree, association based on the principle of love for sports is a great thing! Thus, the bicycle helps to make new friends with whom you can travel the streets for hours, make exciting trips and share impressions.

“How to teach a child to ride a bike?” is perhaps the most common question among cyclist parents. Here are some tips to help you do it easily.

Child cycling progress

To teach a child to ride, it is not necessary to wait until he can pedal. Connect the child seat to your bike, buckle up your child and ride regularly. Be enthusiastic so that children take an example from you.

Over time they get used to physical activity and gradually change to their own bicycles, having received freedom of action. Self-reliance is the strongest motivator for most children.

Tip: Teach your child to wear a helmet while riding in a child seat. It is much easier to instill the basics of safety in childhood.

Various options for equipping bicycles for a comfortable ride with children

child bike seat

Toddlers must be able to sit up and keep their heads upright before they can be taken with you. There are many laws that limit the age of a child to ride a bicycle (at least 1 year old) and require a special seat and a helmet.

Most seats attach to the rear of the bike and are suitable for children up to 18 kg. high backs support children's shoulders and head. Although they weigh a little, such chairs can affect the maneuverability of the bike. Remember, if you fall, your child will also suffer.

Tip: the child will feel every bump and bump much stronger than you, because the seat is located at the back. To increase the damping, lower the wheels a little.

Bicycle trailer

This is a popular solution for toddlers and children up to 6 years of age. You ride while the kids sit and enjoy the views. The trailers are stable and easy to drive. Even if you fall, your child will not be hurt.

Tip: Place a pillow under your child's head to prevent them from shaking too much.

Trailers have their drawbacks. Children sit quite low, which makes them hard to see and more exposed to car exhaust fumes. Also keep in mind that older children may get bored with this passive mode of transport.

Balance bike (balance bike)

This is the simplest bike without pedals and tenacity, just wheels and a frame. Toddlers can ride these bikes using their feet as a brake. Children aged 2 to 5 can learn how to balance and steer. The better they do, the faster they can switch to a pedal bike.

trailer bike

Trailer bikes (such as those made by the Trail-a-bike brand) allow your child to pedal and feel independent, although not without your help, in balance and control. This unicycle attaches to your seatpost or trunk so that it can turn. This bike is suitable for children aged 4 to 7 years. You will be able to drive much farther than a child would have the endurance.

training bike

Bikes with safety wheels can give your child enough confidence to start riding on their own. Over time, the wheels can be removed. These are single-speed bicycles with foot brakes, although hand brakes may be added to some models in the future.

Children bicycle

If your child is ready for their own two-wheeler, don't make the common mistake of buying a bike for growth. This will only slow down the progress of your child for several years. When buying, special attention should be paid to the size of the wheels (not the frame). The most common are wheels with a diameter of 16, 20 and 24 inches. If the child can sit up and put his feet on the ground, then the size is correct.

tandem bike

Bicycle designed for two, well suited for beginners. An adult tandem bike can be slightly modified so that a child can pedal with you. Some manufacturers produce tandem bikes for a child and an adult who steers and brakes while both pedal.