In many ways, kids scooters have taken over from bikes as children’s new favourite mode of transport. Kids can be seen riding around on them in the park, at skate parks and in the street, and they come in all sizes, for kids of all ages. But what has made this change happen, and in what ways can a scooter be better for your child than a bike?

First of all, scooters, just like bikes, are fantastic for getting kids active, and getting them excited about being active. Whizzing around on anything other than their own two feet makes the process of getting from A-B much more interesting for children, and because scooters will work on a variety of different surfaces, kids can enjoy them almost anywhere. Scooters are also really easy to learn to ride, meaning kids may prefer the experience of learning to ride a scooter more than a bike. With a scooter, the child simply places one foot on the deck and one on the ground and scoots forward, putting both feet on the deck when the reach a fast enough speed to keep going. Because the handlebars are high up and easy to hold onto, kids feel completely secure, and they can stop the scooter at any time by simply putting their foot back down. With fear of falling off putting kids off a number of other options (such as bikes, skateboards and rollerblades), scooters can be great for nervous children.

Scooters can also be used anywhere and everywhere. Bikes are illegal to ride on pavements and inside malls, but scooters do not have this rule as they are smaller and easier to control. This means children can enjoy their scooters on shopping trips and days out where otherwise they may have felt bored, and it makes both parents and kids lives easier! Having to find the right time and place to ride a bike can be frustrating for children, especially those that live in inner cities, so being able to use their scooter wherever they go can be a massive perk. They can also take it easily on public transport or in the car for days out, as most scooters are small enough to fold up or store easily even in the most cramped spaces.

Finally, scooters may be easy to ride, but for daredevil children there is still the option to take their scooter to the extreme and learn some of the tricks and stunts that have started to appear in skate parks. They are not difficult to learn and will make riding a scooter a more fun and exciting experience for any child. It is still an impressive skill to watch, but has the safety aspect of the high handlebars, and being relatively close to the ground, which makes it one of the newest and easiest extreme sports to get into.