A Guide to Roller Skating for Kids

Rollerskates are a great way for children to have fun whether by themselves, or with family and friends. It has grown particularly more popular in urban areas as the gradual decline of green areas has unfortunately reduced the choices of recreational activities for children. However, roller skating should not be under-estimated. It is a fun activity that gets your kids outdoors and staying active.

Benefits of Roller Skating for Kids

Roller skating offers a wide range of benefits for children and young adults, including:

• Boosting Confidence: Roller skating is not for the faint of heart. Unlike cycling, roller skating leaves you exposed to a considerable element danger if you’re not careful. As such, after learning to roller skate successfully, you will feel a warm glow of achievement that will considerably boost your confidence.

• Improving Health: Roller skating is a physically strenuous activity. It helps increase cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength, which will make you stronger and healthier. In addition, it also improves agility, balance and coordination. Over a longer period of time, roller skating will strengthen joints. Accumulatively, this will improve your overall health. Needless to say, all this exercise will burn quite a bit of calorie and ensure a health body mass index.

• Psychological and Emotional Improvement: Multiple studies have shown that exercise triggers the release of endorphins in the brain. This will instantly improve your mood and give you a sense of well-being. For those suffering from depression, this will also improve their ability to combat it.

• Socialising: Roller skating is the perfect sport for socialising. Instead of being sat in front of an iPad or TV, children can instead spend time socialising in a skating rink or any paved park roads. It’s the healthiest way to socialise!

Choosing the right roller skates for kids

Many parents worry about buying roller skates for kids because of the injuries associated with the activity, so choosing the right kids roller skates is super important. Aside from colour and patterns, your choice essentially comes down just to two variants, quad skates and roller blades.

• Quad skates: As the name implies, quad skates have four wheels – two in front and two at the back. They are typically used in skating rinks and are perfect for children above four years old. It is not advisable for children younger than four to skate as they still have not properly developed their motor and spatial skill, and muscle and joint strength – they can get injured quite easily.

• Roller Blades: Also known as inline skates, roller blades have between two and five wheels that are arranged in one line. They are also equipped with a rear rubber stopper at the back to serve as brakes. They are used primarily at outdoor rinks, pavements and roads. Roller blades require more strength on ankles and legs, and as such, is suitable for children over 12 years old (give or take a couple of years).