Should I buy a kick scooter for my kid?
Have you been thinking about buying a kick scooter for your kid? What are the benefits of kids kick scooters? Is kick scooter considered an exercise?
Just to put this on the table. A kick scooter uses leg power and depends on the rider to provide energy for it to move forward. In contrast, an electric scooter or e-scooter uses a motor and does not depend on energy from the rider. Our position is that a kick scooter can be used for exercise while an e-scooter is primarily a form of transport with little or no exercise benefits.
A kick scooter is a great toy for children to have fun outdoors. Playing outdoors means getting some vitamin D and fresh air. As they play along the corridor or in the park, they meet other kids who scoot and build some confidence and social skills to learn from, and play with, them. Scooting can build bonds if the whole family does it together. What a great way to spend some quality time! Scooting helps kids cultivate social skills and a love for the outdoors, building the foundation to a healthier, less sedentary and more active lifestyle.
Need more reasons? Here are the benefits of kick scooters and why scooting is the best exercise for kids.
Developing Motor Skills, Balance & Coordination
Learning a sense of balance is important to a child’s motor skills development. The act of scooting requires the rider to stand upright, have his hands on the handlebar and balance with a leg while he kicks with the other to move. This requires the eyes to watch the path and identify possible barriers.
To stop, the child needs to use one foot to press the rear quick brake or to put one foot on the ground gradually to slow the scooter down. The act of scooting, pushing off and stopping, helps the child to develop both their balance and motor skills.
Along with motor skills and balance development comes coordination. Scooting is a great way to develop a growing child’s coordination. As they learn to kick, balance, steer and brake, they are learning to coordinate all these movements. In addition, they are also developing spatial awareness as they learn to look out for obstacles and decide how best to avoid them. As children get better and upgrade to 2-wheels or freestyle scooter, they will learn to navigate tougher obstacles at higher speeds, or even start to learn tricks. This will further strengthen their motor skills, balance and coordination.
Cognitive Development & Decision Making Skills
As they scoot, kids will need to think and decide if they need to slow down or to stop, how much force to apply to the brakes to be able to stop in time, when they need to turn or how much they need to lean into the steer without falling over. During their scooting journey, children will learn to develop critical thinking and fine-tune their decision making skills as they navigate the course, wherever they may be.
Muscle Development & Fitness
Core muscle strength is needed to stand and balance on the scooter as you propel it forward. Every time kids scoot, they are developing their muscle strength. The pushing motion to start and pick up speed engages the ankle, calf, hamstring and glutes. Standing upright on the scooter works core muscles.
When kids are ready and want to go faster, they will need to kick harder. As they do so, their hearts are pumping more and their lungs are working more to get oxygen. This builds up cardiovascular endurance and fitness. The great thing is it’s so fun, they don’t even consider it as exercise!
Conclusion
Scooting is not only fun for kids, it also helps develop their motor skills, balance, coordination and spatial awareness. As a form of exercise, it helps in development of muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance.
As with any sports, there are some risk of injury. But with the right equipment and supervision, the benefits far outweigh the risks.
If you’re ready to buy that kick scooter for your kid, check out our collection here.
