Summer is a great time to ride bikes with family and friends. But, as a parent, you might find yourself wondering: what can I do to best prepare my child to ride a bike? We've gathered some helpful timelines and resources to get your kiddo(s) ready to ride!

age appropriate equipment

Your child might show interest in riding a bike as early as two years old, but each child is unique. There are multiple equipment options you can choose from to prepare your child to make the jump to two-wheeled independence.

• A balance bike can be tried when a child has reached 2-3 years old.
• A bike with training wheels can be tried around 3-4 years old.
• A bike without training wheels can be tried around 4-8 years old. However, some children are not ready until 10 years old.

what is needed to ride a bike?

Riding a bike is excellent exercise, both for the brain and for the body! Biking exercises all of the following muscular and neurological skills:

• Core Strength 
• Coordination
• Motor planning
• Balance
• Body awareness and spatial awareness
• Visual tracking

activities you can do at home to prepare your child for their first ride

Training some of the muscle groups used while riding before you or your kiddo hop on a bike will be useful to avoid injury and ensure a smooth ride. Try integrating some of these simple exercises into your daily routine.

• Coordination activities: 
• Jumping jacks
• Cross crawls
• Pretend pedaling while lying on their back 
• Strength activities: 
• Sit ups
• Boat pose
• Sitting on a yoga ball with a throwing and catching game or ring toss/bean bag toss
• Balance activities: 
• Standing on one leg 
• Hopping on one leg
• Walking on a balance beam