Hints for Teaching 4 Year Old to Ride Bike

so she's already balancing? Bc if not, we found that teaching a 2 wheeled scooter first (or letting them learn on their own) made a big difference. They already had the feeling of balance. So you could try that if you're not past that point. Otherwise, 4 is young! My friend's 8 year old is just learning. :) That's late... but 4 is young. If she is balancing but just stops, then I'd hold onto the handle bar and run along side until she keeps the pedaling up.

I have a few tips for you!

First, if she is using training wheels, that takes the balancing factor out of the equation. So, you have to work on peddling and steering. First, place her foot on the pedals so that the balls of her feet are touching/pushing down. This is not her toes or the heel, or even the middle - it's the area right below the toes and above the arch. This is where she'll get the power and thus the rhythm to keep going. Have her push down on one foot and then the other. (Putting the pedal in the highest position helps for the first foot to push down.) Then have her look up, reminding her to keep her chin up and looking straight ahead. Turning her head, looking down, backwards, etc. will cause her to get a bit off balanced, thus stopping her rhythm. Try getting in FRONT of her and have her ride to you (as you are walking backwards). Encourage her to keep looking at you while pedaling. Try to do this on a long straight road/strip of grass, etc. This may mean you need to get to a park or vacant parking lot so you can practice large stretches at a time.

Once you have her riding using pedals, and she/you are ready for riding without training wheels, I found the greatest strategy!!!! I actually saw it on youtube and watched a couple videos. Lower the seat all the way down so she can easily touch the ground with her feet. Take OFF the pedals. Have her "walk" the bike while sitting on the seat. Then have her begin gliding it. Then have her glide it down a very small hill to get some momentum. Eventually she will begin feeling more comfortable with the balance and can glide and steer. After she gets the hang of balancing it, put the pedals back on (after a day or so) and she'll be amazed that she can probably ride a bike without training wheels. This method is amazingly fast and anyone that I've recommended it to has their children riding a 2-wheeler in a matter or a couple days. Check out youtube for some videos!!!

Best wishes!

She's most likely too young.
Keep in mind, girls usually get this later than boys.
I would let her ride her bike w/training wheels for awhile until she gets the
feeling of balance and pedaling.
Then after awhile doing that THEN you take off the training wheels & it's
best to run beside her.while holding the back of the seat for a bit before
letting go.
Make sure the seat is down low enough so can reach the ground w/her feet just fine & not on on tip toe.
Oh yeah and make sure she has a bike helmet on! (you can even get
elbow guards if you feel like it will make her more comfortable when she
falls).

Probably a little late for my idea, but I really suggest a balance bike. It's essentially a bike without pedals, and definitely no training wheels. There are many different kinds and price levels.

My oldest rode a real bike (no training wheels) at age 3, and the second rode at 4. It's the European model to teach kids how to balance and then add the pedaling. Plus it's waaaay easier for the parent because you don't have to trail behind your kid, or push, or steer for them.

We own a Specialized Hotrock balance bike and it's been amazing. I'm keeping it for the grandkids! Ha! Good luck!

Have you tried a scoot? It's a bike without the pedals (or simply unscrew and take the pedals off her current bike - also without the training wheels). She'll get the hang of balancing, while propelling herself around with her feet. We did this when my son was 4 (and terrified of not having training wheels) and within two weeks of daily "scooting", he was a natural on his real two wheeled bike. The transition was seemless - he just needed to gain that confidence of balancing, first.

Good luck!

Just practice. Let her watch you ride and see how you keep pedaling and how you watch where you're going. Like any other skill, it takes time and practice.

My 11 YO GD taught my 6 YO GD to ride a bike last weekend! Yippee!

I just read your SWH. Don't keep the training wheels on for very long. Once they get the hang of it, the training wheels will actually make them fall if they try to turn too sharply. I took training wheels off GD's bike right away.

She's only 4... I don't know any kids that were fully riding a bike at that age and to beat yourself up about this is ridiculous! She might just be too young to get the coordination down.

We didn't practice with DD. We took the training wheels off when she was 5, we went down to a large grassy area in our neighborhood, and pushed her, and she figured it out really quickly. It was great because there was traction with the grass, and if she fell, it was cushioned. She built up her confidence in that weekend and has been riding on pavement ever since.

Practicing on pavement is probably the worst way to do it, IMO.

Out of safety, because our driveway is angled and we live on a busy street, I didn't even bother with teaching my daughter to ride her bike without training wheels until she was 6. I won't with my youngest, either...but she's 2, and she can ride a bike with training wheels.

Practice, practice, practice...perhaps she just isn't ready for it yet. My oldest wasn't really ready for it at 4, even with training wheels. Some children are just not as quick to pick up gross motor skills. If she's looking at her feet, then she is struggling with the skill of peddling...she just needs more practice. Is she too big for a trike? I'd maybe suggest reverting to three wheels for awhile, until she learns to peddle...I think most children pick up that skill while being low to the ground, which helps them to gain confidence.

What size bike does she have?
Does it have training wheels?

She is probably trying to coast so that she can feel the wind in her hair. Do you have a bike that you can have her ride on with you?

Can you run beside her to keep the bike going?

You seem embarrassed that she can't ride a bike yet, and she's FOUR???? Holy cow. My oldest learned at 7 1/2. My youngest just learned last Fall, right before she turned NINE!! (OK, I'll admit, that was embarrassing) But four? Goodness. She sounds interested, so it'll happen for her. Don't sweat it. That's my advice!

V., don't beat yourself up...stop it. She's only 4. A lot of kids don't start until they are 7 or 8. Plus you have a winter to slow your progress. It's not like your living in SoCalif with year long sunshine.

Take her to a park with a gentle grassy slope. Put her on the bike, on the hill, facing downwards of course, and give her a push. She role to a stop probably. Increase the the hill when she's ready, then transition her to a flat, very quiet street or parking lot.

GL!

Watching other kids that are a little older always helps!!