Before my son turned 5, he could ride a bike without training wheels – want to know how he learned?
Well, it’s all about the balance.
Have you seen the expensive ($100 +) balance bikes that are sold for toddlers?
Well, if you have a few minutes, some patience and persistence, you can easily make your own homemade balance bike!
HOW?!?
Simple: Remove the pedals and chain from a regular bike.
We were given a (secondhand) bike as a gift, and my husband removed the pedals and the chain. Jeremiah started sitting on the bike and pushing himself. After a little practice, he could lift his feet off the ground. He could do this for longer and longer stretches until I put him on our neighbors two-wheeled bike…and he rode it!
Now, not for long, but once he got on this little bike (pictured) in Washington, he was off. There were no falls, no hours of running behind to catch him…he just started biking.
So, if you want to teach a kid to ride a bike – teach him (or her) to balance first. Sarah’s working on J’s “homemade balance bike” right now, and I predict she’ll be riding a two wheel bike before next summer!
