Recommendations for toys and tools that build balance for young riders

Back in the day Mike Craig Christian's dad used to have all of his riders in his classes use unicycles. I got one for my kid and it really did seem to help with the balance and core strength and the kids actually had fun trying to learn how to write them LOL

Use the Jett model--he took dance lessons / classes as a kid, if i remember his Whisky Throttle interview correctly!

Get a bosu ball like most gyms have. Start with flat side down and do different excercises. Flip it over and do the same. Balance will improve exponentially. Elite athletes use them, not expensive at all. 

Strider bikes, Oset electric trials bikes, a hand eye coordination reflex game and let the kid go have fun. 

I think a healthy mix of skateboards, BMX bikes, scooters, or anything else you can bring to a skatepark and have fun on is the best ticket for kids.  They’re going to learn a different type of coordination that is a lot more precise and refined than you get through motocross, plus all of the skills (pumping, keeping flow, unique lines) will carry right over.  And the best part for those of us who aren’t kids anymore but still enjoy dumb kid activities, it can be great for fitness during the week when riding likely isn’t happening.  

Hippity hop

This is what we are doing.

She's 15 months, got her a age appropriate "strider" type bike when she starting crawling, she's just now getting good use out of the bike in the house. 

Have a Oset 12.5r waiting for her already (hand me down from my niece and nephews) and then onto her PW50. 

Trying to at least have everything for her as she is ready for them so she can learn hopefully easier and sooner than she would otherwise.

100% this^^^ however, only if the kid actively gravitates to it and you are not constantly pestering them to ride what you want them to ride. 

Trials bike.

Slack line

Anything with two wheels... preferably a huffy pro thunder...

Play soccer with no shoes on. Sounds dumb, but it helps with proprioception and developing a sense of balance while focusing on something other than the body or a balancing device. Ball sports in general can help kids learn to move their bodies while fixing their gaze down the horizon. 

My boy watches YouTube and I explain to him from time to time what is special with the riding styles. Lawrence's body positioning, Tomac going through corners with feet on pegs, Deegan doing motos without a clutch...

Some of it may be too early, but I am always impressed how much of a visual learner my kid is. He's keeping his feet on pegs all the time and told me he doesn't feel comfortable taking them off. It's a long process with the ultimate goal of riding safely whilst having fun, but I enjoy seeing him progress. I learn a ton myself being with him.

Oddly, wrestling taught me balance.  

The folding foam balance beams are available for about $40. Just about any body weight exercise can be modified to use the beam for an increased balancing component. Just doing 1 legged squats on it is good for balance and leg strength. 

I did gymnastics from walking to about 10 with my sister. We also had a balance beam in our basement and rode BMX dirt jumps. 
 

Basic, analog (human power) Strider bike does wonders.

This absolutely doesn’t surprise me.

My best balance training as a kid was walking across a 1.5 inch floor , spaced every 14” apart or so. 

Slack line, don't have to be daring and having high.  Requires and builds core strength so the body can follow the inner ear's lead with the fine adjustments.  It's also something people have fun doing together, which ups the incentive to engage with it.

Bongo or wobble boards can be fun.  We've got one like this that doesn't shoot the wheel through the plate glass door when you fall like a dork.

As someone mentioned, the discs flat on one side and on the the other either a gel or hard half round are good, too.

This. 100%. 

Slack lines and Balance boards are fun and add a ton of core strength along with balance. 

Pogo stick. Helps with balance and knowing how suspension reacts. 

Son pulls his out of the trailer while I'm getting the bikes ready. It also helps him loosen up, along with some stretchs.

riding a heavy dual sport in deep sand.

Be careful with the slackline, beginners can twist an ankle pretty easy while figuring it out. Don't injure yourself training, it is fun though!

Definitely can happen, but I think one of the keys is to keep the line low unless you're into thrills or dramatics (a friend's daughter had a 20 foot fall that knocked her up for awhile).

I definitely hones balance.  My youngest when he was fully into it a few years ago.  

The crazy thing is when you see someone trucking along on a big balance ball like they are log rolling.  I think there's a TGO where Metcalf is working out standing on one while using one of those flex rods.  All of this explains why I can't wheelie worth crap.

Ice skates 

It's more the uncontrolled way you fall and land, I've seen a few guys twist ankles on them even on waist high lines. Once you figure it out it's like riding a bike, each line reacts a little different depending on it width, length, and how it's set up, that's part of the fun of it.

I recommend a unicycle. The balance required just to ride it is great!

Also, at least for adults, couples dancing, like salsa and bachata help both with balance, and with leading.

But, (and I'm giving away my secret weapon), Argentine Tango is the best, because of the amount of control you have to have of your body.

I didn't expect it, but when I was off the bike for 3 months and taking salsa and argentine tango classes, when I got back on the bike, I was definitely, significantly faster, even though I hadn't ridden in 3 months.

Leading a woman on the dance floor helped guide my bike where I wanted it to go.

I always tell people about the difference riding a bicycle, atv, or motorcycle; bicycling is all suffering to get moving, atving is all fighting so the thing doesn't rollover on you, motorcycling is all dancing with the bike so the two of you work as one.

Do all of it.  MX makes your body work along all axes at almost every point, and all of these will enhance core strength, proprioception, and with those balance.  Helps to be born with a killer inner ear as well.