How To Teach a Toddler To Ride a Scooter?

• Choose the right scooter

Typically, there are two types of scooters for children; a two-wheel and a three-wheel scooter. A two-wheel, often called a kick scooter, is suitable for those who already have good balancing skills. However, we’d recommend picking the three-wheel scooter if your child is still a toddler or around 2 years of age, as it’s a lot easier to ride and balance. Make sure you choose a scooter that is appropriate for your child’s age and size.

• Safety first

Safety should always come first. In addition to picking the right scooter, make sure all the safety gear to ride the scooter are ready for your little one. A helmet is necessary, but you can also add elbow and knee pads to provide additional protection in case your child falls down. In addition, make sure he wears sneakers to protect their feet. 

After all, gears are ready, it’s time to teach your toddler about the scooter’s safety, from using the brake to slowing down the scooter, up to road rules (if they’re ready to go out to the street). 

• Find The Right Area to Ride

Make sure you teach your toddler to ride a scooter in a safe, large area where there are not a lot of people and has a smooth surface free from obstacles. A large training area would give them a lot of freedom to move around with their scooter. 

You may also consider teaching your child indoors, as long as you have a large space in your home. A carpeted surface can also be a great idea to protect them if they fall. 

• Start with the basics and demonstrate how riding a scooter works

It’s time for training! But before your child gets the grip on her first scooter, it’s important to make sure that you have taught him all the basics of riding a scooter. Start from teaching him how to hold the handlebar and position their feet properly to understanding how the brakes work and how to lean their body weight in the direction to steer the scooter. 

Do not hurry to put them on their first ride; start slowly to get them used to the scooter. You can also demonstrate how you ride a scooter step by step, or ask your child to practice walking on a straight line, hopping on one foot, or standing on one foot for a few seconds.

• The First Ride

Once your child gets used to the balance and coordination skills, it’s time to start practising scooting. Ask him to push off the ground with one foot while keeping the other foot on the scooter. Encourage them to take small scoots at first and gradually increase the distance as they gain confidence.

Do not wait too long to let your child start riding; oftentimes they will learn balancing as they train. Practice and patience are key when teaching a toddler to ride a scooter and refrain from pushing too hard as if they can master it in a day or two. 

• Start Slow and Be Patient

Parents can be patient, but our kids sometimes can become too excited and want to go fast as soon as they’re on the ride. Always remind them to go slow until they have trained a few times so that they’re really used to handling and turning the scooter. Practising one trick at a time such as braking, turning and accelerating can also help them to learn faster.

• Appreciate Every Little Progress

Some kids learn faster, some kids learn slower. It’s understandable to feel frustrated if your child doesn’t get the grip of riding the scooter even after much training. But as parents, we need to focus on the positive and try to notice and appreciate every little progress that they make. After all, every one of us will be able to ride a scooter (or even a bike when they’re an adult).