Ride On Toys - Safety Tips for Children with Ride-on Toys

As they embrace their growing sense of mobility, it is only natural for children to want their own bicycle, tricycle, or scooter. Parents should be supportive to this stage of their development and ensure safety when children are playing on ride toys.

Experts recommend buying outdoor toys according to the manufacturer’s age and weight recommendation. There are tricycles and other ride-on toys that can be used by children as young as 18 months, but scooters are most definitely not appropriate for kids under three years of age.

Here are other factors to consider when choosing a ride-on kid toy:

1. The child’s physical abilities

If you are buying for a child that is below three years of age, choose a tricycle with a back-saving removable push bar and a high seatback. The child needs to be steady while pedaling.

Make sure that the child is physically ready to play with kid toys that he will have to steer. Do not buy any ride-on toy that is too heavy for the child to maneuver.

2. Toy Size

The child must be able to reach the pedals easily while sitting squarely on the seat, and her or his knees must not hit the handlebars or steering wheel. Buy a ride-on kids’ toy with an adjustable seat or frame so you can make changes through the years.

3. Potential hazards

Carefully inspect the chosen ride-on children toys for sharp edges or points that may cause serious injury to children while at play. Also check for small parts that can easily be removed, and thus pose as choking hazards.

Parents should also buy protective gear like helmets, kneepads, or elbow pads. Toy tricycles should also have tall flags attached to them so motorists can easily spot them.

The next step is to teach the child to properly wear his or her helmet. Demonstrate to them the correct way of wearing the helmet – flat atop their heads and not tilted back at an angle. Make sure that the helmet snugly fits the child’s head and does not obstruct his vision. Emphasize to the kid that the helmet’s chin strap should fit securely and that the buckle stays fastened while they are playing with their bikes, scooters, and tricycles.

Promote Scooter Safety

A staggering number of children in the U.S. are taken to hospital emergency rooms every year due to accidents from riding scooters. Most of the casualties are children under 15 years of age.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges parents to remind children to:

1. Always wear protective gear like helmets, kneepads, and elbow pads.

2. Always ride your scooter during daytime.

3. Always ride your scooter on sidewalks or paved off roads and never where there are cars and other vehicles.

4. Keep your scooter on smooth surfaces and away from sand, gravel, water, and dirt.

Children should be allowed to play with ride-on toys for fun and even exercise. They should be taught properly how to keep themselves safe while at play.