Skate Away
Rollerblades as gifts? Dangerous or Fun? (1-24-08)
By: Romi Sussman (www.RomiSussman.com)The best gift my kids got last holiday season was………..drum roll please……….rollerblades. Yep, people say that they dangerous and some say that kids under six shouldn’t use them. But, my kids absolutely loved receiving them. My four year old received a pair of blades that your shoe fits into. As far as I could tell, they don’t actually seem to move at all; but, the kids have the feeling that they are doing something and they enjoy that idea. My six year old received real rollerblades. Of course, along with the blades, he got full body pads and a helmet. We don’t let him go out unless he’s fully padded and ready for the experience, but we definitely let him enjoy the blades.
We’ve found that the kids are learning dexterity, spatial perception and body control from their blades. Now, I certainly recommend asking the parents for permission before buying rollerblades, or any somewhat dangerous toy for someone else's child. There’s nothing worse than having excited kids who are told, “No way!” by their horrified parents. Use your own discretion when purchasing birthday and holiday gifts for kids, but rollerblades are definitely keeping my kids rolling around and enjoying their present each day!
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