What age should a child start skateboarding?
Children can start skateboarding at any age, but children under five may struggle to balance so may find it more difficult and frustrating to learn.
What are the different types of skateboard?
There are five main types of skateboard:
1. Longboard: A skateboard that measures 33 inches or longer, hence the name. It provides a smooth, stable ride and is a good board to choose for beginners. But it’s not the best choice if your teen wants to do some tricks and flips. There are three different types of longboard - Pintail, Twin Tip and Cruiser Longboard.
2. Cruiser: Cruisers are used for getting around, rather than for tricks and flips. They’re lightweight and portable, but can be a bit more unstable for skateboarding novices.
3. Mini Cruiser: As the name suggests, a mini cruiser is the same as the cruiser except, well, smaller. Commonly made of plastic, these are compact and easy to carry, and are ideal for trying out new tricks.
4. Carve board: It’s easier to control the speed on a carve board so there’s little chance of generating some out-of-control speeds. It’s not a board to pick if your child wants to practise some tricks, but it can be a great way of practising surfing and snowboarding skills.
5. Double-kick: The best skateboard if your child is desperate to do some flips and tricks. There are ‘kicks’ at either end of the board to help execute those masterful moves, which makes it great for skateparks.
What size skateboard should I get for my child?
When you buy a skateboard for a child, it’s important that you get the right size to ensure there won’t be any avoidable visits to A&E. If you buy the wrong sized skateboard, your child may also struggle to learn and get frustrated.
Skateboard sizes are measured by width. A smaller width is better for younger children and is good for learning tricks. But older and taller children, or those with bigger feet, would need a wider board.
What size skateboard should I get for a 5-year-old?
A five-year-old would need a skateboard with a width of 6.5 or seven inches. Taller children may benefit from a board measuring 7.25 inches.
What size skateboard should I get for a 6-year-old?
Children aged six to nine should have a skateboard measuring seven to 7.5 inches.
What size skateboard should I get for a 10-year-old?
If your child is 10 or above, or measures over five feet tall, then you should look at buying a full-sized skateboard, rather than a junior skateboard. These come in sizes 7.5 to 8.5 inches. To start with, it’s best to opt for a skateboard in the middle of this range (7.75 or 8 inches) and see how they get on.
How do I choose the right skateboard?
There are a number of things to consider when purchasing a skateboard.
Purpose: Does your child want a skateboard that they can do tricks, flips and ollies on down at the local skatepark? Or are they just looking for something to cruise through town?
Experience: Are you buying for a seasoned skater or a wobbly newbie? You should check whether the skater has the skills and experience appropriate to the board you buy.
Size: Make sure you buy the right-sized board for the age and height of your child. It’s no good getting a five or six-year-old an adult-sized skateboard as they’re unlikely to be able to control it.
Accessories: Does the skateboard come with protective pads and a helmet, or do you need to buy these separately? What about a tool for skateboard maintenance? Or a storage bag?
Price: Always set a budget. The cost of skateboards varies wildly, with the boards on our list ranging from £20 up to £90. Stick to your budget and don’t forget to factor in the cost of safety essentials such as knee and elbow pads and a helmet.
Top safety tips for skateboarding
There are a number of safety precautions that your child should take when they go out on their skateboard.
Wear safety equipment, including a helmet and well-fitting knee and elbow pads
Wear shoes with closed toes and non-slip soles (i.e trainers)
When learning to ride, choose an area that’s smooth and away from traffic
Don’t skate in wet weather
Don’t skate in traffic
Learn how to fall properly to avoid broken bones
Be aware of your surroundings when skating (i.e don’t wear headphones)
If skating at a skatepark, follow the rules and be aware of other riders
Avoid crowds when skating
What’s the best skateboard for kids?
Mumsnet parents rate the Rocket Factory Complete Skateboard as the best skateboard for kids. It’s a good quality, hardwearing board and is an ideal first skateboard. We love the bright colours too.
How we chose our recommendations
Our expert writers and journalists spend hours researching the very best quality products for our Swears By articles.
All the skateboards on this list have been tried and tested by Mumsnet users and their children who have recommended their favourite based on factors including durability, price and age suitability. We include these so you know that real people are behind our recommendations.
Finally, we collated all that information and then looked at other online reviews to see which skateboards have received the best recommendations among both consumers and experts.
This article is not intended as a countdown of the ‘top 10’ best products, but rather a list of tried-and-trusted recommendations so you can be safe in the knowledge that you’re getting honest and reliable advice on choosing a skateboard for your child.
About the author
Laura Cooke is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, with a special focus on toddler play, child play and outdoor play. She is a mum of two and lives in Sussex.
Laura is a freelance journalist and has written for a range of publications including The Daily Mirror, the i, Metro, Stylist and Happiful.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.