Ideas to make balance bike look new for a hand me down Xmas present

[DaffodilField]

Dd is ready for a bike and v keen to get one. She is nearly 4. She has a wooden balance bike that she has hardly used (though she rode a friends pedal bike in the park the other day and knew what to do and loved it). Anyway I would like to give her wooden balance bike to ds who will be nearly 2 and as her bike will be for Christmas would like him to get the balance bike for Christmas too. Obviously buying new one when we already have one is not going to happen. Any ideas for ways to make them both think it is new bought for him. I though we could add a hooter and maybe put his name on it in stickers but any other ideas gratefully received.

What are the wheels made of? Could you use some of the black stuff they put on car tyres to make them look new?

It looks like new already as hardly been used tbh. But want ds to think of it as his own present and not feel hard done by. I know he is two so won't feel that, but don't want him to feel he always gets the raw deal.

Maybe you could paint it? The main thing is to hide it away now so he forgets all about it.

Could you spray paint it?

I doubt he would notice at barely 2 but the stickers seem like a good idea. We got my son a used puky bike recently and a wash down plus new bell and stand make it almost look like new.
You could always get him a funky new helmet with it to make it all feel like 'his'.

I think the challenge may be more about your DD say "but that's my bike". Do you think that is likely?

Now is the time to hide it.

Look on ebay for 'vinyl decal' you can buy anything you like in any size. Dead easy to stick on.

I think 2nd hand gifts are fine, I happily do it for my kids but not in that situation. It would be different if you had bought it or even if it had been in the loft a couple of years, but surely she is still using it at the moment?

I don't know if they have handlebar grips like normal bikes but If they do then these are easy to change - halfords have a really good selection.

I agree, see if it can be repainted, apply stickers, add accessories like a horn or bell, helmet, elbow and knee pads. I know you can get lots of accessories for scooters, I wonder if any of those would be suitable, I think you can get a little bag that hangs from the handlebars and little lights from John Lewis.

But it must disappear now to be transformed.

In the pound shop you can buy loads of bike accessories, bells, lights, seat covers etc. Maybe give him some reflector bands etc with a helmet so it all comes as one gift?!

Thanks all great ideas. It's a wooden one. I think we will involve dd and tell her we are going to send it away to santa's workshop so he can remodel it for her brother and we'll disappear it. And I will help her write to Santa and ask for a bike.

Try those flashy light things that go on the spokes - think there's a link for some on the first couple of posts on the Christmas bargain thread.