Teaching Kids to Ride a Bike: When Is the Right Age?

If you’re a parent, chances are you spend a lot of time thinking about how to set your child up for success in life. From music lessons to language immersion preschools to sports, many parents and caretakers are taking advantage of their childrens’ natural curiosity and ability to learn by introducing them to new skills at a young age. In fact, some research even indicates that individuals in the 4-12 year old age range show the highest level of effectiveness at learning new skills than any other age group. 

This is no less true when it comes to learning to ride a bike. And yet, especially for physical activities like bicycling, which is almost guaranteed to result in a few falls at first, it’s normal to wonder whether your child is ready. And as it turns out, teaching kids to ride a bike might come with multiple advantages—in addition to being easier to learn at a younger age, kids may experience important developmental, psychological, and physical benefits of bike riding.