Ten Top Tips To Help Your Toddler Ride A Scooter
Many toddlers take a while to learn how to scoot. There are many skills they need to learn to begin to scoot from a to b so it can be a while from first standing on a scooter to confidently scooting from a to be.
This is normal. Yes, there are some kids who step onto a mini micro and intuitively know how to do it, but most children take their time.
The most important factor is to make it fun!
Table of Contents
1.) Start Indoors
2.) Let Them Start Slowly
3.) Show Them How To Do it
4.) Consider a Strap To Pull The Scooter Along While They’re Learning
Before my youngest son had really got the hang of his scooter, I used to pull him around. He would stand on it and I would pull him around by the handlebars (slowly of course!). Little did I know at the time, you can buy straps which attach to the scooter and then you use to pull them along. It saves a bit of backache!
These straps are also useful when they are going a bit slow and you need to get somewhere quickly. You can use it to pull them along at the speed you want to go.
Additionally they can be used as a shoulder strap to carry the scooter leaving your hands free to hold a little one's hand.
5.) Work on Balance
6.) Choose The Right Place To Learn Outdoors
7.) Little and Often
8.) Make it Fun
9.) Notice The Progress
10.) Pick The Right Scooter
More Considerations
The Steering!
Scooters have one of two types of steering. There is the traditional type of steering, where kids use the handlebar to turn left or right (this is the type of steering you will get on a bicycle). Then there is the "lean to steer" type of steering which is most famously used by mini micro scooters, but is now commonly found on many 3 wheel scooters for toddlers. This type of steering is where the scooter rider leans right to steer right and left to steer left. Lean to steer steering is meant to be more intuitive for toddlers and young children. And for most toddlers this seems to be the case.
However my youngest son just did not pick up the lean to steer steering like other kids which put him off using his mini micro at first. I think there were a couple of reasons for this. Firstly he was already very confident at using a balance bike before using a scooter, which has the traditional handlebar steering. So I think transitioning to a lean to steer steering confused him.
Secondly, a few years down the line he was diagnosed with dyspraxia and as part of this condition his body awareness is not as strong as other children's. This may have affected his ability to lean to steer on a scooter
However, we persevered with the scooter and it might have taken him a bit longer than other kids, but he got it.
So, if your child has problem with the steering on the scooter there may be underlying reasons. But overall my advice would be to persevere with it. Eventually it will just click.
The Process Of Learning To Ride a Scooter
The other thing to be aware of is the process most kids learn to ride a scooter.
Toddlers learn at different rates and don't always take steps in the same order as their peers. But they will do many of the same things.
For example, toddlers will walk very slowing with their scooters at first. They will tend to go in a straight line and may stop and start a lot rather than pick up speed.
They will need to learn how to balance on their scooter in a straight line before progressing onto turning on their scooter.
They won't always turn while standing on their scooter at first. Instead when they want to change direction, some little ones will get off the scooter, turn it around and then get back on. This is why it's makes a good idea for toddlers to have a lightweight scooter to learn how to scoot on.
As their confidence grows they will then start to steer the scooter.
If you are aware of the steps they might take you can praise them and notice that they are progressing in the process of learning to scoot.
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