How to Get a Young Child to Try Rollercoasters

Theme and amusement parks feel like a mandatory piece of any family outing. Whether you are going to Disney World for a week or visiting any one of the several Six Flags properties, there will be rides to thrill and excite the whole family.

What happens, then, when one member of the family gets cold feet and catches nerves right as the long wait ends? Oftentimes, one parent or guardian will leave the line with the scared child while the remaining members get on. Once kids reach a certain age, though, it might be possible to help them get over their initial fear of an intimidating theme park ride.

When I was a young child visiting Walt Disney World for the first time, I was considered the brave one. My brother, a few years my junior, was terrified of all the big rides. Anything with “coaster” in the name was an immediate turn-off.

Young kids on a carnival ride © Lifeontheside | Dreamstime.com

Parents, guardians and older siblings should never try to force younger kids who are genuinely frightened into participating, but using language to promote a message of safety and understanding can help children realize the fun that can be had by trying new things.

Start conversations with your child well before the actual date of the trip to get them used to the idea of rollercoasters and what they are. It is easy to get intimidated by the giant, loud machines once you are at the park. Making sure your child has an understanding of what rollercoasters are can go a long way toward helping them enjoy them. Follow these discussions up with some YouTube videos of specific coasters at the park you are visiting. If you can get the child excited before you even arrive, there might be no struggle at all.

If open communication and discussions do not work, there isn’t much you can do short of forcing the child on the ride. Some kids might just need some gentle encouragement, while others might need a lot of time to work up the nerve. A fun activity for families could be to take a photo of a child just before and just after the ride they are scared of. These photos can be fun souvenirs to hold on to and look back on when the kids get a little older.

When the rubber meets the road, it is best not to force an absolutely terrified child on to a ride they aren’t ready to handle. If you know your kids, you can gauge when they can and can’t handle something based on their reaction to it.