Philosophically speaking, mastering the art of balance gets harder as you grow up. Which isn’t practical advice when teaching someone to ride a bike.

So take this tip instead: Get a Skuut (rhymes with boot), and you’ll be giving your favorite kid a leg up.

Designed for kids ages 2 to 5, the wooden bikes have no pedals or training wheels. Tykes just hop on, kick off the ground like they’re running, and glide. The bikes come fully assembled, except for handlebars and front wheel, which are easily attached.

Way less scary than a traditional two-wheeler (and less likely to produce scraped knees), the Skuut also teaches steering, coordination, and independence. It usually takes a week or two to figure out how to coast, but once kids get it, you’ll have a hard time getting them to stop.

The best part? The transition to a big-kid bike is a cinch. Which is more than can be said for adulthood.

Bike or no, it’s all downhill from there.

Available online at skuut.com.