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Rollerblading: from what age?
From 3 or 4 years old, children can experiment with rollerblades, or 4-wheel skates (called quads). In fact, it depends a lot on your child and their sense of balance. Some little ones are comfortable on a wooden log very early on, others not: pay attention to yours to determine if you think they are ready to put on roller skates.
Should you choose quads or inline skates?
No matter. These are two different types of skates, it all depends on what your child wants, or what you have on hand! Note that you fall less with inline skates: it is indeed difficult to tilt forwards or backwards with their wheels protruding in front and behind. Quads (with 4 wheels), they allow greater stability when stationary, but they are now only found in very large stores that have room to store this equipment. Manufacturers apparently prefer inline skates!
How to choose the right skates for your child
The first models are rollers that barely roll. But they allow toddlers to feel feelings of balance (and imbalance). To tell the truth, the first skates can even be toys, which we buy in specialized stores or even in supermarkets. At Decathlon, for example, the first prize is perfectly suited for a beginner, whatever his age: at 20 €, it is a model with smaller wheels and low-end bearings which therefore go much slower than more expensive and more sophisticated rollerblades. No need to spend too much at the start: if your child does not hang on, it will save.
After, count between 50 and 100 € for a correct pair, but also know that you can invest for a long time if you choose an adjustable model that goes from 28 to 31, from 31 to 35, etc.
The important criteria to take into account at the time of the purchase: good support at the ankle, effective tightening, that is to say strong closures that do not jump at the first shock. In theory, plastic wheels have been completely withdrawn from the market and replaced with rubber or semi-rubber wheels, which are less dangerous but more fragile.
Rollerblading: what are the precautions to take?
Inline skates do not come without a very complete equipment of protection: elbow pads, knee pads, wrists and the essential helmet. If you can, choose a level surface that is as smooth as possible for the first few “workouts”. The ideal: a closed residence with good asphalt, or a closed parking lot. Anyway, secure the place and mark a perimeter: at the start, there is little chance that your child will master his trajectories!
Finally, falling is part of the learning process: you shouldn’t be afraid of it. Especially since the little ones, much more flexible than us, also fall from less height. It is very rare for children to hurt themselves while skating, apart from a few scratches, and even more so that they break something.
Are there roller skating lessons for children?
Some skating clubs offer courses for toddlers, integrating courses and games, that is to say, of course, a fun practice of rollerblading. However, there are not necessarily near you. No problem, because children also learn very well on their own.
Rollerblading for toddlers
The beginner in rollerblades has a tendency, instinctively, to lean backwards, at the risk of hurting his back. So remind your child to stand forward instead. For skating, this is the principle of duck walking: you have to lean on the side to give an impetus and not leave your feet parallel, otherwise you will not move forward. To stop, you do not brake especially by letting your foot drag (this considerably damages the wheels), but rather by pivoting on yourself.