Learning how to ride a scooter is really important to kids. It gives them a fun hobby to do, gives them an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and socialize with their friends.
But once they’ve mastered the basics of riding a scooter, they’ll likely want to show off some super cool tricks on their scooter – and that’s pretty cool to see!
But what tricks can they do as a beginner? Well, we’ve compiled this list of tricks that they can learn and hopefully they’ll be mastering those in no time!
Before They Begin
Before they go out there and learn some of these tricks on our list, there’s some important things we need to address.
Not all scooters have the capability necessary to be able to do these tricks, so it is important that they have a Pro Scooter. You can find some fantastic Pro Scooters here.
And as always, it’s important that they are protected with the right safety gear.
Learning tricks is not always going to be easy, so there’s a likelihood that they may fall off – so keep them safe and prevent injury with the right clothing and equipment.
Always remember a suitable scooter helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and the right footwear.
Now that we’ve cleared that up let’s look at some tricks they can learn!
The Wheelie
When your kid is riding their scooter in manual mode, they will be able to perform some basic tricks to get them started – and the most basic trick to perform is the wheelie.
While it might look a little tough to do, it’s actually pretty simple to get to grips with.
They must first place their feet in the center of the scooter and keep their balance using their hands on the handlebars.
Slowly begin to shift their weight to the back of the scooter, lifting the handlebars up.
The most important aspect of this trick is keeping the handlebars in one position when lifting the scooter.
If the handlebars move, performing the wheelie will be much more difficult as their balance can shift quickly.
The Bunny Hop
This trick is a twist on the classic BMX jump trick. Once again, this is one of the easiest tricks that your kid can try to master.
All they need to do is pick up a little speed and keep their hands on the handlebars.
They will then need to bend their knees until they’re in the center of the frame and then jump vertically, remembering to keep their hands on the handlebars!
The more force they jump up with, the higher they will propel themselves vertically, and it’s actually very surprising how high you can go with this trick.
Over time, kids can get this trick down to perfection and be able to add some extra “spin” to this, which we’ll look at next.
The Tail Whip
The tail whip is not easy for beginners, but it can be done with a little practice.
The first thing to do is to ensure they’ve mastered the bunny hop first, because it provides the foundations of this.
The tail whip essentially twists the platform 360 degrees during a hop and then place your feet back into their original position.
To learn this trick, your child will need to pick up a little speed first and then get ready to perform a bunny hop.
Once they’ve got to this position, jump and, at the same time, kick the platform with their back feet.
This will spin the platform all the way around quickly, and they will be able to place the “kicking foot” back onto the platform when it returns – all done in one smooth movement.
This is where the practice needs to come in because the timing is difficult to master rather than the technique.
Backwards Riding
Riding backward on a scooter might sound pretty simple, but it takes much more practice than you’d think!
To perform this trick, the rider will need to be able to go up a slight incline in order to reverse.
Once they have gone up the incline, do not move and simply allow the scooter to go backward slowly.
Keep the handlebars in one solid position and leave your feet flat on the surface of the scooter.
Once this has been mastered, extra tricks can be performed – including the ones above but backwards!
The Nose Pivot
The nose pivot, which is also known as the 360-degree pivot, is one of the top beginner tricks which takes some time to get right.
For kids to master this, it’s all about getting the balance and foot positioning right.
To start the trick, you must get a little speed going and keep your balance in the scooter’s center.
When you’re ready to start the trick, prepare yourself and move your back foot to the back wheel cover.
Then, move your weight to the back and move your arm weight to the left of the handlebars.
This will begin to spin the scooter to the left, so you will need to hold on and keep your balance.
Eventually, the scooter will go all the way around in a 360-degree angle.
Guidelines And Advice For Scooter Tricks
Kids hoping to master some of these tricks listed above should remember to follow some basic guidance and advice to remain safe when they’re out there.
Bear these points in mind:
- Always wear protective gear
- Avoid bike lanes – this will prevent a potential crash
- Always be confident with your scooter before you start the tricks
- Do not ride near traffic
- Do not perform “high air” tricks as a beginner
The Bottom Line
Tricks are cool to see on scooters – so why not take some of these ideas into consideration when it’s time to ride!
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