Scooters are great for children
as they provide another way of getting around and staying healthy which is also
a lot of fun and can make for great days out with their friends. A lot of
children prefer scooters to bikes as they are easier to operate and keep them
closer to the ground, so feel safer for children who may be nervous about their
first bike. Scooters are also very in fashion at the moment, and many children
may prefer a scooter to a bike purely because most of their peer group have
them.
If you are going to buy your
child a scooter, though, you need to think through the safety precautions
needed to ensure your child is completely safe on their scooter. Regardless of
the fact that these scooters are close to the ground and kid powered, they can
still go very fast, and a child could come to injury if correct safety
precautions are not adhered to.
One of the first things to buy,
before you have even bought the scooter, is safety protection for your child.
Choose a good quality helmet as well as elbow and knee pads. Let your child
choose them with you so you’ll know that they are happy with the gear they have
and are likely to wear it even when they are out of your sight. If they do then
take a tumble from their scooter, even at high speed, you will know that their
important areas are covered and they shouldn’t come to much harm. It is natural
for children to take a few spills when learning to ride a bike or scooter, so
don’t be too overprotective, just make sure they are appropriately kitted out
with safety gear.
When looking for the right scooter for your child, choose a scooter which fits your child well. If you
choose a scooter which is too large or too small it will be difficult to
control, whilst having a base which is too narrow will raise the chances of
your child misstepping and falling off of their scooter whilst whizzing along
at speed. Take your child with you to look at scooters and get them to try it
out. Even with adjustable scooters you are looking at the base, the wheels and
the handlebars to make sure you child can use it easily.
