When we’re looking for presents to get our little ones, there tends to be a lot of choice in our modern consumer society. Gaming devices like Playstation portables and the Nintendo Wii, laser-tag games, high-tech robot toys and so on. Sometimes though something more active and outdoors-orientated is a good idea!
Push scooters (as opposed to the electric and petrol varieties) have become much more popular in recent years, particularly amongst kids. They’re the main alternative to skateboards and rollerskates at the moment, and they certainly fill a gap-the style of their design is distinct from that of boards or other wheeled means of movement for kids, and arguably they’re safer-having the handlebars to hold onto as well as the fact that the pushing foot is in near-constant contact with the ground as you’re pushing along ensures a good amount of stability.
So, what do you look for in a scooter? Well, the more popular brands such as grit scooters are engineered to a good standard across the product range; although there are some aspects that you should look at to make sure your son or daughter gets a scooter they’ll like!
As well as the overall build quality of the scooter itself, well-forged wheels are important-they’ll probably have to deal with large distances and numerous surfaces, some of which might be quite rough-check the diameter, build quality and bearings of the wheels so that they measure up-the last thing you want is for the wheels to come off!
Weight is a consideration as well-if your kids are out and about and they need to get off and carry the scooter, they obviously need to be comfortable carrying it around. Most aren’t too heavy, but some of the models that use heavier metals might be a little heavier, so make sure you get a scooter appropriate to your child’s overall size. The deck should be long and wide enough to be comfortable to ride on, and should be reinforced (most are anyway) for reliability.
Also, the price-most scooters tend to cost around the £50-70 mark for junior scooters and about £80-130 or so (the latter for the high-end models) although as with most gifts and toys there’s always deals to be had if you poke around the internet a bit. The cream of the crop can cost up to £300, so what you decide on might depend on how much of a big present the scooter is intended to be!
Scooters can be a great gift for your children, especially if you’d like to encourage them to be active and have fun at the same time!
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