Kids on Wheels: Inline Skating Vs Skateboarding

Any kind of wheeled toy is great for learning balance, and bikes seem to be the most popular of them. But after learning how to ride a bike, some kids start to show interest in learning another sport on wheels, such as inline skating and skateboarding.

Chances are that your child has a preference already, and if that is the case, you may not be able to change his/her mind. Still, as a concerned parent, you want to know which one of them is easier to learn, which one is safer and which could benefit your child the most. Let’s take a short overview of both of them so you can make a more informed decision.

What Is the Difference Between Inline Skates and Skateboards?

Inline roller skates for kids are basically a pair of boots with four wheels attached to the bottom. Mostly used for recreational purposes, inline skating gives the wearer the feeling of flying with the air. A skateboard, on the other hand, is a plane wood-like surfboard that also has four wheels attached at the bottom by two pairs of trucks. Mostly used for doing tricks, people also use it for riding short distances. What differentiates these wheeled toys from each other is their ease of use, difficulty in learning, applying brakes, riding technique and the dangers of both.

Which One Is More Difficult to Master?

Learning how to ride kids inline skates is easier than learning skateboarding. With skateboarding, your kid needs to learn more tricks and that could take up to one year for him/her to get a full grip while inline skating may take up to one month to learn. Note that there are different types of kids skateboards and kids inline skates available to buy and that their level of quality and features can impact your child’s learning process. Low-quality skates tend to have issues of bad bearings and wheels that make the skating/skateboarding process more difficult.

Which One Is Easier to Control?

If your kid is skateboarding on a road and he/she get obstacles such as stone or jump, he/she can jump from the skateboard easily and save themselves from falling and getting injured. In the case of inline skates, they are stick to your kid’s foot, so he/she cannot jump, like with skateboards, from them in an emergency case. This means, your kid must learn the proper inline skate braking method.

Which Riding Techniques Are Necessary?

Skateboarding requires the rider to push, roll and move on a skateboard. Inline skating is more about walking and balancing on the wheels. Because of this, inline skating and skateboarding have different riding techniques.

When it comes to balance, riding comfortably on skateboarding is about the position of the feet on the board. The rider needs to place the dominant foot on the board while the other is on the ground for balance. Bending the knees help the rider to move in a forward position. With inline skating, riders need a flat surface to balance themselves. Because the rider’s movement depends on how they place their toes, this makes inline skating more challenging to balance than skateboarding. There are proper parks where your kids can perform both skating and skateboarding tricks.

What Are the Benefits of Riding an Inline Skate vs a Skateboard?

Both sports offer an endless number of benefits for your child’s physical and mental health. So, when it comes to saying which one is better, it is hard to say. Both types of skating will be helpful at improving your child’s physical endurance, motor skills, becoming stronger and more courageous, etc. Both are also beneficial for children’s cognitive development, creativity, social skills, curiosity and most importantly, their mental health.

Which Inline Skate or Skateboard to Choose for Beginners?

When shopping for kids skateboards, you’ll have two main types to choose from: longboards and a skateboard. Both types are usually single kicks boards. What makes them cruisers is the wheel type – they have longboard style wheels that are soft and roll easily. This makes them easy to learn on and also perfect for uneven ground like driveways and bike paths.

There are different types of inline skates available on the market as well. Recreation is the most popular style of inline skate and this is the one you should look for as it is meant for beginner to intermediate skaters. Designed for comfort and performance, the recreational category is going to give a great fit and feel for a first-time skater.

Safety Concerns

While inline skating and skateboarding can be both fun and great exercise for your child, they can also be dangerous. If done incorrectly they can lead to serious injuries. Safety tips for inline skating and skateboarding include wearing safety gear including a helmet and elbow and knee pads every time your child rides, maintaining the equipment in good shape, understanding that he/she understands and obey all traffic signs and signals and making sure he/she never wear headphones while riding.

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