Scooter, trike, balance bike or 2 wheeler?

[jyllebean]

Need help deciding on an outdoor ride on toy for our 2.5 yr old dd. We were planning to just get a tricycle, maybe this schwinn from amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Roadster-12-Inch-Trike-Red/dp/B000FH2Y9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1245642529&sr=8-1

but recently have seen our friends kids about the same age that love their scooter and one has a 2 wheeler w/training wheels that she loves. And I've heard good things about the balance bike. We'd like for her to be able to use this right away. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[MNmomtobe]

Need help deciding on an outdoor ride on toy for our 2.5 yr old dd. We were planning to just get a tricycle, maybe this schwinn from amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Roadster-12-Inch-Trike-Red/dp/B000FH2Y9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1245642529&sr=8-1

but recently have seen our friends kids about the same age that love their scooter and one has a 2 wheeler w/training wheels that she loves. And I've heard good things about the balance bike. We'd like for her to be able to use this right away. Any recommendations?

Thanks!


Had to mention that we JUST got the Schwinn roadster trike for DD for her 3rd bday. It is a great trike! I love that it has real bike tires so it is much easier for DD to get up our steep driveway than the Radio Flyer fold-up trike she also has. I love that the seat is low to the ground so less chance of tipping over. I don't know how tall your DD is but I don't know that DD's feet would have reached the pedals at 2.5 yrs old. It's kind of like a hybrid between a traditional tricycle and a big wheel. The seat does adjust and I believe we have the seat in the position closest to the front tire. DD is just over 36 inches tall. However, you can always get pedal blocks if your DD's feet don't quite reach the pedals.

Anyway, we debated too about a scooter (DD just didn't seem to get how it worked) and a bike with training wheels. DD got scared even on the smallest of bikes (w/training wheels). She kept saying "NO! It's too big!" and wouldn't even try them out. If your DD loves her friend's bike though, she should be fine with that.

Sorry but don't have any experience with balance bikes. They seem to be a hit on these boards though. :)

Good luck!

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

How tall is your dd? We got a wooden balance bike as a gift, and our 2 year old DD, who is 35 inches, is too short. We got the Go Green Kettler, and love it.

[smokey26]

It is really hard to say, I think it depends on the kid. I have a scooter, the schwinn roadster and a just-purchased balance bike and I wish we had an adjustable kettler trike (one of the smaller ones, not the air navigator) for my 2 yr old. It could just be my kid, but she is not coordinated enough to do anything but stand there with the scooter or balance bike yet and the schwinn is too big for her. She is just 2, not 2.5 though.

We also ordered the schwinn from Amazon when we bought it and just to warn you - it really is big and it is on the heavy side. We have a large sedan and it does not fit in the trunk so if you need to take it to the park with you and not just have it in the yard, hopefully you have an suv or something or you are pedaling there. I was very surprised at its size when it arrived in the mail and I put it together. It is a good quality trike though, if you have a smooth yard or good place for your child to ride, it is a nice choice for the bigger child. I got it when my older daughter just turned 3 and it was on the smallest setting - even then she mostly pushed it with her feet at first.

Right now I'm deciding between adjustable smaller kettler models - go green vs blossom/alana/junior models - for my 2 yr old.

Julie

[brittone2]

I think it depends on the kid.

DS got his balance bike at 3 and still rides it at 5. It has been a fabulous purchase. DD is 2.5 (and very gross-motor oriented) and is already starting to stalk her big brother's balance bike. She also likes our trike (DS got that at 2). Many kids will not independently pedal a trike until 3-3.5 (DS was like this; DD is starting to pedal independently a bit at 2.5).

I think they serve different and complementary roles.

[Carlasmom]

Go for the balance bike! DD got hers at 2 and now at 3.5 transitioned to a regular bike w/o trainers. All it took was a few minutes for her to understand that she needed to push the pedals (she never had a trike) and off she went.

In Germany that's what nearly all the kids do and most of them learn to ride their bikes at a very early age.

[christiedavid3]

Great post!

My parents want to get DS a bike for his 2nd birthday and I'm not sure which kind to ask for.