Kids and Scooters

Kids of all ages love to play with scooters. These
elongated stems on wheels with vertical handlebars propel
boys and girls across parking lots, down driveways, and
along sidewalks for a variety of movement sensations.

The scooter has handlebars similar to a bicycle and an
upright front a little bit like a bicycle. But instead of a
seat, a scooter has a thin flat footboard close to the
ground much like a skateboard. The rider puts one foot on
the footboard and holds the handlebars for steering and
balance. The other foot is used to propel the scooter with
a push of the foot that is on the ground. The scooter then
moves along for some distance before slowing down. Then it
needs another kick on the ground to keep going. The rider
controls how fast the scooter moves by how many times and
how hard they push off the ground with their foot.

Scooters come in a wide variety of materials, either
plastic, metal, or wood and, of course, in a variety of
sizes, colors and styles as well. Some companies even call
their 4-wheel motorized chairs for disabled people scooters
to make them sound like more fun, but these devices don't
come close to being a traditional scooter. You can buy a
scooter at many types of retail outlets including toy
stores, discount stores and bicycle shops or online.
You can find a used scooter online through Amazon or Ebay.

Since a scooter isn't sized to arm and leg length like a
bicycle, several kids can share the same scooter as long
as they are willing to take turns. Or a child can play
happily alone on the scooter. Kids can have scooter races
and there are streamlined scooters that make good racers.
Kids can ride their scooter about anywhere a bicycle is
allowed. Be sure to check the local regulations for whether
or not scooters are allowed in the parks in your
neighborhood.

Some kids like to decorate their scooter with streamers
on the handle bars and decals or painted designs on the
footboard. Kids love to feel that their scooter is special
and different from the one like every other kid in the
neighborhood has.

While scooters can have two, three, or four wheels, the
most popular scooters today are shiny aluminum models with
a thin footboard. These razor scooters as they are called
are faster than a traditional scooter and should be ridden
only by older children who are coordinated enough to steer
it at fast speeds. Younger children should have simpler and
slower plastic models that are more appropriate for their
skill level.

Wheels and kids just seem to go together, as evidenced in
classic, ongoing toys like bicycles, skateboards, and
scooters. If you are trying to decide what to get a
favorite niece or nephew as a gift, consider giving a
scooter, along with the proper safety equipment of crash
helmet and kneepads, for which the parents will thank you.