How to Teach a Child To Ride A Bike

After failing at trying to teach my son to ride a bike, guess what? I watched a 6 year old teach my 3 year old how to ride a bike in less than 15 minutes. It can be done!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bike Without Training Wheels
• Safety Helmet
• Knee/Elbow Pads
• Flat Surface, Paved Works Best

1. While you are holding the bike still, ask your child to climb on. Remember, without training wheels, it will be very unsteady. You don't want the bike to fall the first time the child tries to get on to it. This will usually scare them and they will not try again.

2. Once the child is on the bike, have them put their feet down so that they are touching the ground. Allow the bike to lean a little. Ask the child to lift up one foot and show them that the bike will begin to lean even more and explain balance to them.

3. Next, ask the child to stay on the sit and tell them to walk with the bike. While steering and sitting down, they should be able to walk one foot at a time around and around. During this process, they will sense the balancing act and begin to hold it pretty steady. You will notice them getting faster a little at a time.

4. Once they have this down, ask them to push with both feet and glide across the area while holding both feet up. This is where it gets fun for the child. They will do this a hundred times if you let them. (Literally!)

5. At this point, it's all about bringing the feet onto the peddles so here is where you need to stop them a minute. While holding the bike again for them, allow them to put their feet up on the peddles. Show them how to apply the brakes. Then show them how to peddle forward and roll along with them. Go over this a couple of times while holding the bike along side of them. Tell them to Go! Stop! Go! Stop! It won't take long, they will understand.

6. And now finally, get them to glide, bring feet up onto peddles, and tell them to try and peddle. This attempt will most likely bring on the little falls. With the first time, probably not making a full peddle. The second time maybe getting 1 1/2 full turns in and then the more they try it, the more turns they will get. Until finally, they are riding their own bike without mom or dads help! Yay for them! Tell them I'm so proud!

Tips & Warnings

• As stated, I had tried to teach my little boy how to ride without training wheels for awhile. I was doing it all wrong. You know the scene we see on tv. Hold the seat, tell them to peddle and off they go. It doesn't usually work here in the real world. Often times we find that the child runs off into a mailbox or garage wall and what do we get out of that? A child who is scared to death of a bike. During one afternoon, my 6 year old relative showed my little boy all the steps above. All within about 15-20 minutes and my 3 year old little boy has never looked back. Determination? Oh yeah! He wasn't going to stop until he got it right. But with the right teaching, it can be done with any child.
• Safety Warning - Please use the proper safety equipment at all times! Helmet and knee/elbow pads!!!!