We all want to do the best for our kids. We want to make sure we give them the tools to lead a happy and healthy life. We want to keep them safe. We want to make lasting memories with them. Learning to ride a bike is one of the things many parents teach their children, and every parent has a different reason and method for how they teach their kid. And there are many reasons to teach a child to ride a bike.
Here are five we think resonate with most parents:
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It's Fun
Sometimes, the reason for doing something is simple: it's fun. Riding a bike is fun. The wind on your face, the world flying by and the feeling of the crisp air in your lungs. There's just something about exploring on a set of wheels powered by your own abilities that we find enjoyable.
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Your Kids Develop a Sense of Independence
Riding a bike can give your child a sense of accomplishment as they achieve new milestones in the sport. As they get older, they can use this bike to go play at the park in the neighbourhood with their friends, or they can peddle to and from school. When they get their first job, a bike may be their method of getting to and from work. A bike is a child's first method of transportation that they feel they own. This can give your child a great sense of independence and responsibility.
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There Are Extraordinary Health Benefits
It's recommended that children aged 5-11 get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day. Adequate exercise helps children focus and do better in school. It helps with bone and muscle development and can help children with their self-confidence and mood. Learning to ride a bike is also great for a child’s hand-eye coordination. All in all, riding a bike benefits a child’s physical and mental health and development.
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It’s a Sustainable Form of Transportation
Biking is a great method of transportation. There are many cities in the world where biking to work is far faster than driving due to traffic. Riding a bike to work is not only healthy for the person powering the bike but also for the planet. A bike doesn't require fuel and leaves a much smaller carbon footprint than a car. It requires a certain amount of greenhouse gas to be manufactured and shipped, but at some point, it'll become carbon neutral if you're riding it often. When a child learns to ride a bike, they have the tools early on to choose to use a bike as their method of transportation.
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It’s a Great Activity for the Entire Family
It can be hard to think of activities that the entire family can enjoy. Often times, a family has a few children that are at different ages or levels. Thanks to new and different equipment available for teaching children to ride bikes, even young children can come along for a bike ride on their parent's bike. As a child grows, they can graduate to their own and enjoy family time while exploring the world and staying active. With all the time a child spends around screens and indoors, a family bike ride sounds like a pretty great idea to us.
Teaching a child to ride a bike can start long before you get them a balance bike. A child can be learning the feeling of a bike before they're the one responsible for powering it forward. That's where Mac Ride comes in. We want to provide a way to get your child outside for a family bike ride before they're able to pedal a bike themselves. They can learn how a bike feels on mountain terrain and dirt roads and can start to observe how to steer and stop. This early familiarity with a bike will help them learn to ride their own bike faster as they get older. A baby bike seat, and later a child bike seat, is the perfect way to introduce biking to small children.
Ready to give your child a head start at learning to ride a bike? Or are you itching to get out on some family adventures with a child bike seat? Shop Mac Ride here.