PEDAL DOWN WITH HUFFY

“This post is sponsored by Huffy; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Christmas is around the corner and I have already started Christmas shopping online looking for the best deals. I never start early in October, usually my motto is do everything last minute. But, I think it’s time I start changing that and I am super proud of myself for getting an early start. It makes me a thousand times more excited to shop for my kids than myself. I love surprising them and see their faces light up every holiday. This year I want to focus on toys that have more meaning and have been on the top of their wish list. I have always been a believer in less is more.

THE PERFECT GIFT

This year I wanted our gifts to reflect our family as a whole. I want it to be all about focusing more on spending quality time together as a family. Being outside and exploring was one of them. The youngest two had been asking for a bike for the longest time and I knew it was one item on their Christmas wish list.

Now that the weather is cooler, I thought going for a bike ride with the younger kids while Ryan and my husband play soccer at the park would be a great way to spend an afternoon. We spent countless hours searching the best brand for our kids and what size would be better for Elyse and Luke and decided to go with Huffy Bikes. Huffy makes great quality bikes for an affordable price and in all kinds of unique styles.

WHY GO WITH HUFFY

Making sure you pick the appropriate bike for your child is so important. Which is why we got the 12″ EZ Build Bike and 16″ EZ Build bike, perfect for a 3 and 5 year old. It is pretty easy to build. After seeing the packaging come I was a bit overwhelmed thinking how are they going to get built. My husband did it within minutes before heading to work. What I’m most excited about is their neat feature of a quick release seat. So as the child grows in a snap you can change the seat height to keep maintaining the right fit.  It is designed for durability, comfort, and fun. As parents it is our job to build a strong foundation of skills and confidence to our children and thanks to Huffy Bikes we can accomplish that.

ARE THEY READY TO RIDE WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS?

Currently we are in the process of getting Elyse to ride without training wheels. Luke on the other hand isn’t quite ready yet (He is still trying to master how to pedal on his own). Some of the things I have learned is that if your child has their balance on point, is pedaling, can stop and slow down on their own then they are on their way to riding a bike without training wheels. You have to reassure them not to give up but continue to try with confidence. Practice makes perfect!

HOW TO TEACH YOUR KID TO RIDE A BIKE ON THEIR OWN

1. THEY NEED TO FEEL SAFE: Make sure you stick close to them at all times while they ride their bike and that they always have a helmet on.
2. CHECK THEIR SEAT: The great thing about Huffy Bikes is how quick you can change their seat height in a snap. Since my son is only 3 lowering the seat all the way down makes it more comfortable for him, making him feel better about riding his bike on his own.
3. LEARN TO BALANCE: The proper method for teaching a child to ride a bike emphasizes balance first, add pedaling later.
4. LEARN TO PEDAL WITH CONTROL:  You want the place they are practicing in to be as flat as possible. Best advice we told our daughter is, “have one foot on a pedal all the way down and push off from the ground three times. Then you are going to lift your other foot up and put it on the pedal and push” It will only take a few tries before they are circling around your driveway in several rotations.

If you find your child is struggling go back a step and make sure they have mastered that first. It makes it so much easier when they truly know how to balance a bike first. Once they achieve how to balance on a bike the pedaling is so easy! These are the steps that have worked well for us and I hope they will for you too. Are your kids ready to learn to ride? And if you are out shopping for Christmas gifts already don’t forget to add Huffy Bikes to your list! You can check out the collection of items that Huffy now offers at Walmart.