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A small bike without pedals may seem strange at first sight, but what fun for any two to five year old child. A two year old can stroll alongside her parents by pushing the bike with her feet, until the day she suddenly masters the art of balancing on two wheels. While lifting her feet, she rides on saying, “Look what I can do, Mommy!” From that day on, put your jogging shoes on, because you are in for a run trying to keep up with those little legs. A learner’s bike can be as fast as a pedal bike, so make sure your child wears a helmet.

Besides the obvious fact that a child gradually learns the steering and balancing challenges of a real bike, another advantage of a learner’s bike is that can be taken everywhere, not being limited to paved surfaces. An ordinary bike with training wheels often gets struck when a child hits uneven surfaces, leaving the back wheel to spin in the air and the child frustrated. Children can ride a learner’s bike in nature, up and down grassy hills or on dirt paths, wherever their little legs take them without ever getting struck. These bikes are therefore perfect for parents who like to take nature walks, but get deterred from doing so because their child gets tired too quickly. With a learner’s bike, a child can follow you around nature parks and really enjoy himself in the process.

Learner’s bikes come in different styles and materials, including metal, wood and even recycled matter (Kiddimoto, LIKEaBIKE ). Wooden ones appeal to the environmentally conscious parent, with some models (Wishbone Bikes) using 60% post-consumer recycled plastic, rubber, aluminium and steel. Wood can be more expensive than the metal version of the same bike, however, and not as resistant to wear and tear. A popular metal brand is Puky, which features safety handlebar grips, a bike saddle developed to support children’s walking motions and a frame with low step through and platform to rest one’s feet, increasing comfort and confidence. Puky models for children three years and up also have handbrakes and kickstands. LIKEaBIKE also makes a good metal learner’s bike called the Jumper, for three to six year old children.

A scooter can provide an excellent alternative way to learn balance. A scooter separates the steering/balancing function from the pedaling function, so the child can concentrate on learning to balance without the distraction of pedals. An additional advantage of a scooter is that it is less scary than a bicycle. One foot is on the ground much of the time, while the other is only a few inches above the ground with no obstruction to a “bail-out”. Micro makes the best scooters for small children aged three to five (mini micro) and older ones five and up (maxi micro). Like the learner’s bikes, children can go over any terrain (even in sand pits) safely with these three-wheeled scooters. They also make great two-wheeled scooters for teenagers.