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Home › Articles › Toddler Safety › Tots and Trikes

Tots and Trikes

Buying Your Child's First Tricycle

By Melinda Copp

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"Push tricycles, ones with a handle, are good as a first for kids because the parent can push but the child still feels like they're in control," says Sullivan.

Marks decided the Kettler Air Navigator was the right tricycle for their daughter for a number of reasons. "It has a parental control where you can lock the steering mechanism in place so when a parent is using the handle to push the child, the child can't veer off into the street," says Marks. "It also has a great feature where the pedals don't lock, but if my daughter just rests her feet on them and doesn't actually pedal, the pedals stay still."

You should also consider what the tires are made of and where the pedals are placed. "Rubber tires grip better than plastic ones," says Grinde. "And the pedals should be under the seat rather than out in front, so the child can push directly down on them." These factors make the tricycle easier for your toddler to steer and control.

Safety Precautions
Safety is always a concern when your child becomes mobile, especially when riding around outside. All the child-proofing you did when he or she learned to crawl and walk won't help when your tot takes to the streets on a trike. Riding a tricycle means a whole new set of safety precautions.

"Kids should be supervised at all times," says Grinde. "And helmets and shoes should always be worn."

Marks enforces a helmet rule with her daughter to ensure safety. "The rule, and she knows it, is no helmet, no tricycle," says Marks. "Even if we are pushing her." To prevent resistance, and hopefully build a good habit of always wearing a helmet, Marks allowed her daughter to pick out a helmet that she liked and would want to wear.


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