Re: Smart Cycle as therapy tool

[Guest guest]

What is the age for pedaling?

>

> I've found that a kid-sized stationary bike is a pretty useful

therapy

> tool. You can buy kid-sized exercise bikes (you can google them)

or

> you can use what we use which it a little less boring...

>

> We got our 4.5 year old son a Fisher Price Smart Cycle for

Christmas

> (it hooks to the TV and you play educational video games powered by

> the pedaling). Pedaling was the one gross-motor skill that he

> lacked. At first he would only pedal backwards, but I sat in the

> floor next to him and moved the pedal forward with my hand. After

a

> while all I had to do was have my had near it and he would pedal

(sort

> of like the 'run alongside the bike and the kid doesn't know you

are

> no longer holding on' thing). Then after a couple of days of that

he

> would just hop on and begin pedaling forward and playing the video

> games that go along with it.

>

> We recently had a warm day and were outside. He hopped on a big-

wheel

> type vehicle that he has had for a long time and began pedaling

around

> the driveway as if he had done it that way forever...only this was

the

> first time he had ever powered a pedal-type vehicle by pedaling.

He

> had always just pushed with his feet " Fred Flintstone " style.

>

> I think the stationary status of the bike helped him learn the

motor

> plan with the confidence he wasn't going to fall. As soon as it

gets

> warm again - I'll have him trying it on his bike with training

wheels!

>

[Guest guest]

Liz...could be wrong on this, but I though pedaling was a 3 year old

skill?????

> >

> > I've found that a kid-sized stationary bike is a pretty useful

> therapy

> > tool. You can buy kid-sized exercise bikes (you can google them)

> or

> > you can use what we use which it a little less boring...

> >

> > We got our 4.5 year old son a Fisher Price Smart Cycle for

> Christmas

> > (it hooks to the TV and you play educational video games powered

by

> > the pedaling). Pedaling was the one gross-motor skill that he

> > lacked. At first he would only pedal backwards, but I sat in the

> > floor next to him and moved the pedal forward with my hand.

After

> a

> > while all I had to do was have my had near it and he would pedal

> (sort

> > of like the 'run alongside the bike and the kid doesn't know you

> are

> > no longer holding on' thing). Then after a couple of days of

that

> he

> > would just hop on and begin pedaling forward and playing the

video

> > games that go along with it.

> >

> > We recently had a warm day and were outside. He hopped on a big-

> wheel

> > type vehicle that he has had for a long time and began pedaling

> around

> > the driveway as if he had done it that way forever...only this

was

> the

> > first time he had ever powered a pedal-type vehicle by pedaling.

> He

> > had always just pushed with his feet " Fred Flintstone " style.

> >

> > I think the stationary status of the bike helped him learn the

> motor

> > plan with the confidence he wasn't going to fall. As soon as it

> gets

> > warm again - I'll have him trying it on his bike with training

> wheels!

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Uggh...

> > >

> > > I've found that a kid-sized stationary bike is a pretty useful

> > therapy

> > > tool. You can buy kid-sized exercise bikes (you can google

them)

> > or

> > > you can use what we use which it a little less boring...

> > >

> > > We got our 4.5 year old son a Fisher Price Smart Cycle for

> > Christmas

> > > (it hooks to the TV and you play educational video games

powered

> by

> > > the pedaling). Pedaling was the one gross-motor skill that he

> > > lacked. At first he would only pedal backwards, but I sat in

the

> > > floor next to him and moved the pedal forward with my hand.

> After

> > a

> > > while all I had to do was have my had near it and he would

pedal

> > (sort

> > > of like the 'run alongside the bike and the kid doesn't know

you

> > are

> > > no longer holding on' thing). Then after a couple of days of

> that

> > he

> > > would just hop on and begin pedaling forward and playing the

> video

> > > games that go along with it.

> > >

> > > We recently had a warm day and were outside. He hopped on a

big-

> > wheel

> > > type vehicle that he has had for a long time and began pedaling

> > around

> > > the driveway as if he had done it that way forever...only this

> was

> > the

> > > first time he had ever powered a pedal-type vehicle by

pedaling.

> > He

> > > had always just pushed with his feet " Fred Flintstone " style.

> > >

> > > I think the stationary status of the bike helped him learn the

> > motor

> > > plan with the confidence he wasn't going to fall. As soon as it

> > gets

> > > warm again - I'll have him trying it on his bike with training

> > wheels!

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Yeah, thanks for posting and congrats! We bought the Smart Cycle as

well and within days of getting it my 3.3 year old started pedaling

backwards. I was pretty impressed since he is on his bike quite often

outside and he can only ride " Flintstone " style...even with lots of

encouragement from myself and the neighborhood kids.

Our Smart Cycle broke and we just recently got it replaced. So, I'm

going to get on the floor next to him as you did. Hopefully, we are

only one step away since he already learned to pedal backwards on it.

>

> I've found that a kid-sized stationary bike is a pretty useful

therapy

> tool. You can buy kid-sized exercise bikes (you can google them)

or

> you can use what we use which it a little less boring...

>

> We got our 4.5 year old son a Fisher Price Smart Cycle for

Christmas

> (it hooks to the TV and you play educational video games powered by

> the pedaling). Pedaling was the one gross-motor skill that he

> lacked. At first he would only pedal backwards, but I sat in the

> floor next to him and moved the pedal forward with my hand. After

a

> while all I had to do was have my had near it and he would pedal

(sort

> of like the 'run alongside the bike and the kid doesn't know you

are

> no longer holding on' thing). Then after a couple of days of that

he

> would just hop on and begin pedaling forward and playing the video

> games that go along with it.

>

> We recently had a warm day and were outside. He hopped on a big-

wheel

> type vehicle that he has had for a long time and began pedaling

around

> the driveway as if he had done it that way forever...only this was

the

> first time he had ever powered a pedal-type vehicle by pedaling.

He

> had always just pushed with his feet " Fred Flintstone " style.

>

> I think the stationary status of the bike helped him learn the

motor

> plan with the confidence he wasn't going to fall. As soon as it

gets

> warm again - I'll have him trying it on his bike with training

wheels!

>