5 Benefits of Tricycles for Social Development in Children
Published September 11, 2023.
Children grow and develop exceptionally fast, so they need opportunities to engage in as many physical activities as possible in order to help their overall development. Tricycles tend to be the go-to choice for both parents and children, they are more than just a fun way to get your little one moving.
Trikes are excellent for enhancing a child’s physical, cognitive, and social development. Let's look into their benefits in more detail.
Benefits of Tricycles for Social Development in Children
- Enhancing gross motor skills
- Boosting self-confidence and independence
- Nurturing peer interaction and communication
- Fostering outdoor play and exploration
- Laying the foundation for self-sufficiency
1. Enhancing Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills refer to those large groups of muscles in our bodies that impact walking, running, balancing, strength, and coordination.
Very early on in life, children start to develop these skills that only improve as time goes on. Riding a tricycle is a great example of how to do this. As children learn to pedal, steer and navigate, they begin improving their core muscle strength and coordination.
Additionally, children learn and interact with other children through play and this requires the use of a wider and complex range of skills. Research exploring the relationship between social and motor skills shows that better gross motor skills development can increase self-assurance in social settings.
» Looking to improve gross motor skills? Here are gross motor activities for preschoolers
2. Boosting Self-Confidence and Independence
Tricycles play a role in fostering social development through outdoor play and raising an independent child. Learning to ride a tricycle comes with its challenges and obstacles for kids to conquer. But how does this build children's self-confidence? Once mastered, the sense of achievement they feel can help boost their self-confidence.
Trikes encourage children to play outdoors and can be a great way to reduce anxiety. Simply being outdoors can be:
- An effective stress-reliever
- An outlet to burn pent-up energy
- A way to listen to nature
- A means of exploring the world around them
Children learn to problem-solve through play. Tricycles provide the perfect opportunity for this as they can use their imagination and overcome obstacles, such as bumps in their riding path, therefore facilitating independent thought.
3. Nurturing Peer Interaction and Communication
Why are peer interactions important? From a young age, these can help children learn and practice language in different scenarios, predominantly teaching children how to start and end interactions and boost self-esteem.
Riding tricycles creates many opportunities for shared play and social development in children. Shared play teaches children about emotions (how to control them and how to deal with the emotional displays of others).
Children on trikes and bikes can exercise this as follows:
- Racing
- Taking turns zooming around
- Playing cops and robbers
- Team games or ones involving a leader
Shared play is all about connecting minds, seeing situations from different perspectives and problem-solving. If there is the need to share trikes during shared play then it encourages children to think about the importance of collaboration, compromise, and fairness.
4. Fostering Outdoor Play and Exploration
In a world where everything is available at our fingertips and there's a dominance of screens, playing outdoors is increasingly important.
Outdoor play exposes children to:
- Fresh air
- Natural light
- Sensory experiences, like the wind on their faces or the touch of grass
Trikes offer kids the best opportunity to make being outdoors fun throughout the year, promoting an active lifestyle.
Tricycles provide children with an everyday opportunity for:
- Physical exercise, which can help strengthen the heart and lungs and promote the overall health of their cardiovascular systems.
- Learning about cause and effect, such as how pedalling backwards can move them backwards or not move, depending on obstacles.
How to Encourage Outdoor Play:
Riding trikes provides ample opportunities for imagination-building, so highlighting this is key. Encourage your kids to engage in pretend play, such as role-playing as racers or flying superheroes while they zoom around.
» Learn about the benefits of riding a tricycle for physical and cognitive development
5. Laying the Foundation for Self-Sufficiency
As your child becomes a proficient rider, their strength, confidence, independence, and resilience grows. Trikes are portable, meaning there is no end to your kid's play, imagination, or development.
A trike can help teach them the basics of self-sufficiency, such as:
- Autonomy that gives them more freedom than they have had before
- Road rules and directional awareness like left, right, or when to cross a street
» Check out the best tricycles for toddlers to make outdoor play more fun
Boost Social Development With A Tricycle
Tricycles offer children a myriad of benefits, such as protecting physical, cognitive, and emotional development with hours of endless fun. If you're considering investing in a classic trike for your little one, take a look at SmarTrike’s range. Their tricycles are designed with the child in mind and for multiple stages through their growth and social development.
SmarTrike’s classics are fitted with state-of-the-art shock absorbers, ensuring a smooth and comfortable ride on all terrains. So why not help your child develop the new skills they need to build their confidence and enjoy the great outdoors with a brand-new trike?
