How to Help Nervous Children with Funfair Rides
If you have a nervous child who is hesitant about going on funfair rides, it can be challenging to help them overcome their fears. It's no wonder why some kids can feel a bit anxious about fairground rides - some of the biggest thrill and white knuckle rides can have adults second-guessing their decisions!
But fear not - there are plenty of steps you can take to make the experience more comfortable and enjoyable for wary youngsters.
Find out what the problem is
If possible, see if you can find out what specific concerns your child has. Are the rides too fast or noisy? Are there bigger kids on them that your child feels worried around? Perhaps they don't want to leave your side? Try to isolate the problems, and then you can choose funfair rides that seem to avoid these issues.
Use child-friendly funfair rides
Rather than jumping straight to the ghost train, start small on slow, friendly and easy-going children's funfair rides. These rides are specifically designed for children and are often allow parents to ride with them for extra comfort, such as in the Tea Cups.
Building their confidence is very important, so give them lots of congratulations when they get off the ride, and tell them what a great job they did and how much fun they had. Be positive and reassuring, and remind them that they are supported. This will help you give them the confidence they need to get the most out of the funfair.
Point out how safe fairgrounds are
Safety is of key importance at the funfair, and there are supervisors, barrier fences, brakes and more to ensure incident-free events every time. Show these features to your child, and help them understand that the fairground ride is designed to be safe and secure. Show them how sturdy the safety bars, belts, and harness are to ease their fears and reassure them.
You can also point out the happy children who have just come off the ride. Seeing the joy on other people's faces and hearing how much they enjoyed the ride will show your child how much fun they could be having.
Focus on being supportive
But don't force things! Let the child lead and try to avoid suggesting any rides they're not comfortable with. Pushing your child to do something they don't want to do may only make the situation worse. If they don't want to go on a particular ride, respect their decision and move on to something else - there'll be plenty of attractions such as carousels and funhouses to move on to.
Ultimately, the key to helping a nervous child on funfair rides is to be patient, supportive, and understanding. Remember that every child is different and will have their own unique fears and anxieties. By taking small steps, building their confidence, and showing them that they are safe, it won't be long until your child is tugging your hand and asking you to join them on the reverse bungee!
We Are Tricycle has fun available for all the family. Look through our website to see what's available, and then contact us to find out more.
