Scooter Ok for a Three-year-old?

We have the 3 wheeled radio flyer and make him wear his helmet. It is enough. I don't think mine is ready for a razor yet. He still has "no fear"

We got a Razor scooter for my son a year ago when he was 2 1/2. He took to it faster than a bike and can go faster than my 8 year old daughter now! (He's more of a daredevil though.) Definitely make him wear the protective gear!

Good luck!

Our son was super well coordinated and he had a scooter at age 3 - but it was one of the "little kid" scooters that has 3 wheels (2 in the back). Don't get your 3 year old a razor scooter yet bc they require a lot more balance. Our son had one of the razor scooters when he was 4 and he still LOVES it at age 6! When our son began riding his razor scooter and when he began riding a bike we made him wear knee pads and of course a helmet always!

Yes yes yes! Pads and helmet! Look at the age range on the scooter. I would avoid the ones with the skinny foot plates. Tricycles are actually harder for kids to ride than bicycles per our pediatrician and personal experience.

Radio Flyer makes a really cool retro looking 3-wheeled scooter that is good for a 3-year old. I think you can purchase it on amazon.com. My children have never fallen off of their scooters so elbow and and knee pads have never actually been needed but I do believe they are recommended.

A 3 wheeled scooter is perfct for this age. My older kids have scooters like the Razor and my almost 3 yr old likes to ride it. But when she lets it go, it falls on her scratching her legs or on her feet. Wearing sandles and riding it don't go well together when this happens. I got her 2 3 wheeled scooters last summer (used) and she loves them. I will even let her zip around the house if nothing is in the way to burn off some energy.

A 3 wheeled scooter with 2 wheels in the front would be best for balance. Radio Flyer and Little Tikes both make one. I think you can find either online or at Toys R Us.

Though kids object to them elbow and knee pads are a MUST. Last summer my grandson had a bad scooter accident. My daughter used her methods to quell his pain and when they didn't work she used mine. Arnica 200c every hour for three hours. He was pretty much recovered the next day. After that I told him scooter or skate board....knee pads and elbow guard. He had his helmet on otherwise he'd have been in dreadful shape.
Get Arnica cream for the bumps and bruises.

Santa brought my son a Razor scooter when he was 3 and he has really enjoyed it! We use a helmet -nothing else. He has gotten more and more daring on it -he'll be 5 next week, but they're usually pretty good at 3 with being cautious and warming up to it. I think they're great toys for 3 year olds! Another thing I've loved -when I go walking or jogging with him and his brother w/ the double stroller, he takes his scooter. When he gets tired, it folds up easily and he can hop in the stroller until I'm done.

Huffy makes a really cute little boys "Cars" or "Spiderman" scooter - perfect for that age! Target carries them.

I found a 2 wheeled scooter at Target that works for my unbalanced dd. The wheels are really nice and wide so they help her stay up and the handle bar extends so it will grow with her. It also has a wider standing board. I stayed away from the 3 wheeled scooters because they were just too small for my dd.

Yes to knee and elbow pads!!

Make sure he has his helmet on ALL the time! It is imparative. One fall backwards and he can have permanent brain damage. Good luck!

I highly recommend a Strider or other balance bike.

we got a razor for my son last summer - he was 4.5 not really suitable for younger (in my opinion). There are many that have three wheels (radio flyer has one, and there are some disney characters - depending on which character is"hot" right now) - we have a hand me down of one of these and it works just fine.

Hello Paul,

I am not familiar with scooters for the younger kids, but have you thought of a Skuut Balance Bike or a Strider bike? It's basically a bike without pedals. I have had and seen a lot of success with this bike for balancing. Once the balance is mastered the scooters are a breeze. I've found this is the best way to start. As far as the protective gear, it seemed it wasn't really needed with these type of bikes because the kids can easily catch themselves. Of course, you'll know the best type of bike or scooter for your child : )

Here are the links so you can check them out:

http://www.mystriderbike.com/?gclid=CNzOv9jTtacCFQwFbAodE...

http://www.skuut.com/

Have a great day!

My daughter has a 3 wheel scooter, think it is fischer price or radio flyer. She loves it, she got it at the end of last summer (just turned 4) and is pretty good with it. She has used a 3 wheel scooter at her preschool since she was 3 years old (no helmet), at first it was a little rocky trying to figure out how to do it but got hang of it after a week or so.

We just have a helmet at home, I am thinking about elbow pads... but with a 3 wheeled scooter it is harder to tip over so we just do the helmet. Some are saying they are too small but I can fit my siize 8 foot on it and the hadle bar can be adjusted to her height. I think around age 6 she may get a two wheeled one.

I don't know if he will have the coordination to use it as of yet. But a good one to start with, I bought for my 5 year old when he was four, is the Radio Flyer My first Scooter. I would definitely use the helmet and you might as well use the pads too, you can never be to safe :o)

Here is a product description:
The perfect scooter for beginners, this My 1st Scooter features an extra wide base and two front wheels for maximum stability! The fully assembled scooter also folds easily for storage and boasts a tapered base that creates a clear kick path. Measuring 27.5"H x 24.5"L x 12"W, the scooter weighs 7 lbs.

My youngest has one. His has 3 wheels. We don't use knee and elbow pads scrapes and bumps are part of being a kid but he always wears a helmet.

Yes, my son has had one since before he was 3.
He has those scooters with the 2 wheels in the rear and 1 wheel in the front.
My Aunty got it for him from Walmart.
My son is now 4 years old, and that scooter is still good as new. And my son is not exactly gentle with it.

My son has helmet and elbow/knee pads. But mostly just uses his helmet.

This is the one my son has:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Spider-Man-3-Wheel-Preschool-Sc...

Here is another one:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Razor-Jr.-Lil-Kick-Scooter/1305...

I recommend these.
all the best,
Susan

My son started with the three wheeled scooter at age 2 but quickly moved on to a two wheeled scooter since it's faster. We prefer the Razor brand since it's just plain made better, smoother ride and the wheels move freely (some of the "cute" brands have stickier wheels.)

Hi Paul,

We bought the Radio Flyer 3 wheel scooter for our son at 3. He always wears a helmet but we didn't go so far as the knee and elbow pads. He has never fallen with the scooter. You will probably have to guage your own childs coordination and make your padding determindation from there.

I would Not buy him a scooter ! Check out the statistics, you may think twice about this idea....please be an informed parent, read these:

http://www.cpsc.gov/pr/prscoot.html

http://www.cpsc.gov/kids/kidsafety/scoot.html

http://www.braininjuryinfo.org/InfoTips/Prevention_Scoote...

We just got our son a mini kick scooter. They're pricey but so much better than the competition.

http://www.amazon.com/Kickboard-USA-MM0003-MiniK-mini-Sco...