Do you have a child who is struggling with learning to ride a bicycle? Do they want to do it but just don’t seem to have the skills to do it? I’ve got you.
Breaking It Down
The way an occupational therapist approaches a complex skill, any skill, is to break it down into its smaller parts. In the case of bike riding, those skills are: steering, peddling, and balancing. Each of those is necessary for bike riding.
My approach to teaching a child who has struggled to learn to ride a bike is to use other ride-on toys that have less risk involved. Before I go on, please make sure your child always wears a helmet. Helmets save lives and lower the risk of minor head injuries.
While some kids do well with tricycles, some feel they are prone to tip over. For those kids, I recommend Big Wheels.
Big Wheels are great because the child can work on the motion of peddling and steering at the same time. I also like Big Wheels because most children don’t fear falling off of them. They are low to the ground and very stable.
If your child is too big for a regular Big Wheel, there are some larger toys of this nature. This one says it works for kids up to 150 pounds and comes in a couple of different colors.
My own kids had a version with casters on the back that was designed to intentionally be weird to “drive” as the back end didn’t always follow the front. If your child is excited about those, they work for these purposes. However, if your child didn’t ask for one of those, I don’t recommend them. The steering is extra challenging with them.
Working on Balance
I also recommend you get your child a two-wheeled scooter. My kids learned on a Razor Scooter, but other brands or styles would work too.
The reason you want a two-wheeled scooter is that it will help your child work on their balance. A child with poor balance can put their foot down with each tiny step while riding. As their balance improves, they can keep their feet up and coast further without tipping. This feels much safer to most kids because they can just put a foot down to stop or to catch themselves. Bikes are harder to stop and kids can have trouble motor planning taking a foot off the peddle to put it on the ground. With these scooters, their foot is close to the ground, and not tangled in anything else. And again, your child will practice steering while balancing.
Making the Leap
Alternating riding both of these toys is how I have worked several children up to bike riding. Once they know they can balance, pedal, and steer, they feel more confident to try a bike.
One note about switching to the bike, training wheels can help some kids feel more confident on their bike. The biggest parenting hack I have seen with them is to remove one. Then your child learns to lean to the side with the wheel when they need help to balance, so they have a safety net. However, that net only catches them on one side, so they quickly learn to balance on the bike.
I do recommend also being sure the bike you are teaching your child on is their size, even on the smaller side. Too often, parents get a bike for their child to grow into, and that makes it harder to learn to ride. Bigger bikes take more skill to stay on and balance while riding. Your child’s first bike needs to be one that they can easily get on and off without stretching.
And don’t forget the helmet!
P.S. Here are the links to the different fidget toys I’ve recommended today.
 | by Schylling |  | by Razor |
 | by Madd Gear |  | by Giro Tremor |
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About the Author
Laura Sowdon, OTR/L is an occupational therapist, writer, speaker, educator, and creator of the Five Senses Literature Lessons homeschool curriculum. She has worked as an occupational therapist with children in public and private schools, as well as private practice. Laura has taught and managed homeschool co-ops as well as homeschooling her own three children. Laura is dedicated to the idea of educating children at a pace that aligns with brain and physical development milestones and respects neurodiversity in all its forms.
