Whilst out in the garden last week I came to the realisation that we have a lot of toys of the wheeled variety. As the girls abandoned yet another on the lawn I had to have a little chuckle. There were bikes, trikes, scooters, mice and a dinosaur car. It’s ridiculous! I therefore think I’m rather well placed to bring you my expertise on the best bikes, trikes and ride ons for children. And if you don’t fancy buying a new one I reckon I may need to hold a car boot sale very soon!

Balance Bikes

Balance bikes are a great starting point for kids to learn how to ride a bike. Many of my friends children had them and almost went straight from one of these to a real bike. Molly had one and it definitely helped her co ordination and balance with moving along. She does still have stabilisers on her proper bike now and Alice has taken control of the balance bike. We opted for the Tidlo wooden one which has been great.

During a recent Instagram session I spied the most beautiful bike. Minty green loveliness. A bit of hunting and searching found it to be a Bobbin Bicycle. Oh my, they are just gorgeous and very firmly on Molly’s birthday list for this year. She will be getting a proper bike this year and given her penchant for pink this beautiful pale pink number fits the bill. For the little ones just starting out they do a balance bike option. I’m rather taken with the mint green myself.

This nifty number from Little Citizens Boutique is both a balance bike and a trike. It changes as your child grows so they scoot around on the trike when they are little and then move on to a balance bike as they get bigger.

Trikes

For Alice’s second birthday we got her a Scuttlebug. Best buy ever! If you haven’t seen one of these they are a great invention. And such a good price. A little trike in the style of an array of bugs and insects. It is ridiculously lightweight which means the littles can scoot around to their hearts content. What’s more the legs fold in really quickly to make it flat. Ideal for storing away or for chucking in the car for trips out.

Most toddlers love being pushed around in a trike but if you want to save your back you’ll need one with a handle. There are a vast array out there in varying colours and styles. This Smoby version looks good with an added sun shade and little pouches for storing all the essentials. It can be changed to a normal trike when they want to be independent.

When Molly was three we decided to buy her a proper trike for Christmas. I will admit that I dislike the look of a lot of the plastic numbers out there. I wanted something classic and that would hopefully last her as she grew. Then I came across the Radio Flyer bikes. Think old school Americana. Truly gorgeous. A lovely bright red colour and there are tassels. We opted for the standard trike with little steps on the back. When Molly first got it she used these for climbing on but this summer it has been super cute as she gives Alice a ride around the garden. For those of you whose little ones can’t ride themselves yet they do an option with a handle attachment or a fancy all singing all dancing stroll n trike version. A lovely alternative to the plastic versions out there. The only caveat I would put to this is the weight of it. It is rather heavy and Molly struggled with riding it until she was a bit bigger. However, still definitely ones to look at.

This wooden bunny trike from ELC is a good option. We had one of these when the girls were younger and they loved it. Easy to scoot on and kids seem to love the animal faces. It also comes in an amazing squirrel design.

This snazzy trike converts in to scooter for when they are more comfortable on two wheels than three.

Ride Ons

One of the first wheely things we bought was in fact a wheelybug. It was for Molly’s first birthday and has remained a favourite in our house ever since. These are plush little leather bugs and animals that have a handle to help keep the little ones balanced. They are just the cutest. We opted for the mouse but could equally have chosen the bee or the cow or all manner of critters and creatures. I adore the quality of them. A sturdy wooden base and the comfiest little animal to sit. They come in two sizes and we opted for the smallest. In hindsight we probably should have gone for the toddler size as it is sadly far too small for the girls now and in reality we ended up pushing them on it most of the time when they were little anyway.

I have always admired these gorgeous old fashioned style cars. Complete with racing stripes to make it perfect for whizzing round the house. After all, it is too lovely to be left out in the garden.

This innovative Y Pewi Walking Buddy changes from a stable platform babies can use to pull up and learn how to stand, to a push along walking aid and then a ride on for toddlers. Ideal for mastering balance.

Ideal for when your baby takes their first steps this walker to ride on hers support them with their first steps and can then convert to a ride on when they want to go for a spin.

This Little Trikes Jelly Bean Racer is a fun option. With a curved seat perfect for little bottoms. A slightly more expensive option is the Spherovelo which has a rather funky bubbly like shape. It has two settings so it can change from a more stable ride with stabilisers on to a balance option with two wheels.

If you want something a bit more from your wheely toy then this bunny one has an integrated shape sorter to keep your toddler amused.

And not strictly a ride on but you can’t not mention the Little Tikes car. Every child I know loves these and they now come in a vast array of colours and designs. Alice ended up with the dinosaur!! Edd’s choice I might add!

Have you spied any great options that I have missed?

Images by Anna Clarke Photography and Sarah Mason Photography.