Each year, as the holiday season draws near, parents begin their search for the perfect gift for their child. This year, I have a winner! I was able to give my three year old an incredible gift: A Strider Balance Bike.  A Strider Bike is a great choice for kids of all abilities!

After having four children, I now have strict criteria while choosing a toy. I always ask myself three questions: Is the toy versatile? Will the toy grow with my child? Does the toy meet a developmental need (gross motor skills, fine motor skills or speech)? If the answers are yes, I purchase that toy! A Strider Bike easily meets all of my requirements!

The Strider Balance Bike is a no-pedal bike that helps children learn the crucial skill of balance before learning how to pedal. While using the bike, children naturally progress from Standing Walking to Seated Walking to Seated Running to Seating Gliding to Standing Gliding. The bike is lightweight and easy to control, so children remain confident while learning balance and coordination. Using the Strider Balance Bike can ease the transition to a traditional bike.

Strider Bikes offers the 12 Sport Balance Bike, which is perfect for children from age 18 months-5 years, but they also have licensed bikes and bikes for children and adults who have special needs. The Strider Balance Bike has some amazing features! The bike is very lightweight and it has a durable steel frame. It has no-maintenance puncture-proof tires. The bike has the lowest seat height for the youngest riders and the bike can grow with the child thanks to adjustable seat and handlebar that doesn’t require any tools during adjustment. The built in footrests are perfect for gliding and the padded seat makes it a comfortable ride.

Christmas came early for Liam this year when he received the Strider 12 Sport Balance Bike from Strider Bikes!  Liam has Down syndrome and the Strider Balance Bike was highly recommended by his physical therapist, so I was very excited about this review. We couldn’t wait to give it a try!

This Strider Bike did not disappoint! Liam immediately got the hang of maneuvering the bike during Standing Walking thanks to the light weight. His tiny hands, which are common in a child who has Down syndrome, could easily grip the handlebar. Liam is small for his age, so the adjustable seat and handlebar was very convenient. We easily adjusted both to the lowest setting and it was a perfect fit for him!

Liam had so much fun learning how to balance on his Strider Balance Bike and steer it around!

One of my personal favorite features of the Strider Balance Bike is that it’s easily portable. We are an on the go family and we often have spontaneous trips to the park. Liam’s Strider 12 Sport Balance Bike can fit in between the driver’s seat and Liam’s seat in our SUV with room to spare and I can easily carry Liam and his balance bike at the same time! Even though it’s cold in Pittsburgh, we’ve already had lots of fun with it at the park!

It often takes children who have Down syndrome years of practice and hard work to achieve the learning how to pedal a bike milestone. The Strider Balance Bike will give Liam many years of practice because it will continue to grow with him. I have high hopes that this Strider Bike will be a great learning tool for teaching balance and control and help him have a quicker transition into traditional pedaling. I fully believe in inclusion and allowing Liam to do everything that any other child can do and using his Strider Balance Bike is already helping him fit in with his peers who can already pedal a tricycle!

As the weeks have gone by Liam has been getting faster and he’s starting to transition to Seated Walking. He can quickly get on and off of his balance bike without assistance and he uses his bike daily! Maybe…just maybe…he will be ready for the 2017 Strider Cup National Race Series for Toddlers, which is coming to Pittsburgh on May 27th!

Thank you to Strider Bikes for sponsoring today’s post and giving Liam the gift of a developmental toy that will grow with him! I can’t wait to see the milestones he will achieve on his Strider Balance Bike!

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You can keep up with Stefanie and her family on her blog and see their daily adventures on Instagram.