Choose Ride on Toys That Are an Honest Reflection of Your Child

Tricycles are typically used by children between the ages of two and four, after which point they usually switch to a bicycle, often with training wheels. Parents choosing a tricycle for their child should ensure that the trike is not too tall and that the seat is too high, and that the wheelbase is wide enough, because if this is not the case, the child may tip over easily.

The seat should be stable, which is not always the case with the most inexpensive models. Some trikes have back rests which provide support and a push bar for parents so that the parents can push the child up hills or hold the child back when descending, or in case of the sudden approach of other traffic. For safety many parents make children wear a helmet when riding a trike.

Some parents also attach a safety flag to the trike so that the child will be more visible to drivers.

Children's trikes are made of steel frames or plastic. One disadvantage of plastic frames is that they are more likely to tip over than a steel frame if a heavier child is riding. On the plus side, plastic frames will not rust like steel frames if the trike is left out in the rain. Children's tricycles can also be made from bamboo. Bamboo has a tensile strength that is comparable to steel while at the same time being lightweight like a plastic frame. Bamboo can also be used to make an adult bamboo bicycle.

While most children's trikes have direct drive, a small number of models such as the Cheetah have chain drive. Unlike adult bikes, children's trikes do not always have pneumatic tires; instead, some trikes have solid rubber wheels. While this adds to the weight of the tricycle and reduces the shock-absorbing qualities, it eliminates issues with flat tires, punctures, and leaky tubes. Since most trikes are direct drive, the child can slow the trike down by resisting the forward motion of the pedals, as with an adult fixed gear bike.

As parents we are always eager for our children to move ahead, but rushing the learning process might turn a rewarding experience into a frustrating one. Start with the age, size and physical development of your child.

Try to be objective and choose tricycles and ride on toys that are an honest reflection of your toddlers or preschoolers ability. Other things to keep in mind

• Toddlers should be walking securely on their own before introducing ride on toys
• Tricycles and ride-on toys should be low enough and stable enough to be easily mounted and dismounted - toddlers attention spans are short
• The ability to pedal  tricycyles and ride-on toys usually comes sometime between the ages of 2 and 3.
• If using alternating feet - as required for pedaling - is too much of a challenge for your toddler or preschooler stick to ride on toys they can push with both feet

Tricycles with multiple frame and seat adjustments will make this a sure thing.

• A detachable push bar for your tricycle will make it easier for both you and your child. Toddlers and preschoolers may need help for a while.
• Tricycles with free-wheeling pedals that stop turning when your child stops pedaling (or when you are pushing) can be a godsend for tired little legs. No more tangled feet or bruised shins either.
• All of these features are standard for the Kettler tricycles sold here on LearningToys.ca. Kettler tricycles have many more Patented features "patented features to start the riding experience off right.

Balance Bikes are toddler sized bicycles without pedals or gears. They are designed to help children learn to balance without the complication of pedals and to transition directly to a bicycle with ease and at an earlier age.

First invented in Europe, the success of Balance Bikes there has shown that children between the ages of two and three years will naturally learn to balance for short times, through a combination of pushing and lifting of their feet. As they become surer of their ability, they balance for longer and longer times.

Children feel secure to practise because they can always put their feet down to either steady themselves or stop.