With the holidays quickly approaching I’m racking my brain trying to think of some great gift options for Goldie. With 4 kids, Goldie has plenty of toys to choose from so finding the perfect gift for her can be difficult. This has had me searching for the best scooter for 2 year olds. She seems to be more interested in whatever our big kids are doing at the time. Of course with a 7 year age difference between Jack and Goldie, finding things that are developmentally appropriate for both young kids and older kids can be difficult. Enter kids’ scooters.
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Best Scooter for 2 Year Olds
A kids scooter is a great option for both older children and younger children. It is an activity that not only gets your kids outside and active, but it also is a great family bonding activity.
The older kids can teach the younger kids how to ride and it is a toy that will grow with your child as they grow older. I love watching the confidence on my kids’ faces when they learn a new skill and it is even better when their older sibling or friend teaches them (as opposed to Sam or I).
If you are interested in getting your toddler a scooter this holiday season you might have noticed that prices of scooters range greatly. Not only do the prices range, but the features of scooters can be all across the board.
How do you know what is the best scooter for your young riders? I’ll look at the benefits of scooters and what to consider before you purchase one, as well as some of my favorite scooters on the market.
Benefits of Scooters for 2 year olds
Below are some of the biggest benefits of scooters.
Gets Them Outside
Have you ever noticed that when your toddler is having a hard time how a change of scenery can make a world of difference? Specifically, taking your toddler outside after a few tantrums automatically resets their mood for the day.
It is like a magical ray of sunshine that switches their foul mood into joy again. There is a reason for that sudden mood switch. Research shows that spending time outdoors helps lower anxiety, anger, and depression. It lowers blood pressure and improves our mood, but also can help our focus. Kids who spend time outdoors also reap the incredible benefits of nature.
So encouraging your little one to ride their scooter outside is a great way to enhance their mood and help their focus. As an added bonus, they will sleep better too!
Exercise
Scooters not only get your little ones outside but it is also a fun way to exercise. Physical activity is not only essential for adults, but also for our small children and adolescents.
It is recommended by the CDC that toddlers aged 3 up to 5 years old receive at least an hour of exercise every day as it is essential for their growth and development to further their motor skills. That may seem like a lot, but consider the amount of energy your toddler has each day.
There is nothing Walker loves more than running around outside! That boy definitely gets the recommended amount of exercise. Unfortunately, kids in today’s electronic world are less likely to reach that level of activity due to all of the electronics at our fingertips.
I know I struggle with that balance myself- it can be so easy to sit them in front of a tablet or a tv to get a few minutes of peace and quiet. Before you know it, the minutes turned into an hour and a half and your kids are full on protesting to move away from the tv!
Whenever this happens, I kick everyone outside and make them do some sort of physical activity. Between the benefits of being outside and the benefits of getting exercise, your kids will forget all about how mad they were at you for leaving their favorite show.
Helps with Balance & Motor Skills
Riding a scooter is a great way for your toddler to work on their balance. Balancing is actually a pretty complicated process that involves the marriage of your child’s physical development, sensory skills, hand-eye coordination, and fine and gross motor skills.
Balancing is a process that occurs anywhere from when your baby first learns to sit, to when your toddler takes their first steps. In order to do any of that, they must have balance. As your child grows, so does their sense of balance.
By 2 years old, your child may be able to balance on one foot. Balance is actually indicative for future learning as balance requires both sides of your child’s brain to work together. Their brain must know how to control their body parts both as a whole and as separate entities.
While your child balances, they are also working on their gross and fine motor skills. Pushing their feet, standing on one leg, gripping the handlebars, steering- all are building their motor skills and physical development.
Before you know it, they will be ready to try their hand at riding a bike. The tools they gained from learning how to ride a scooter, such as balancing and steering, will help them with learning their next skill.
Encourages Cognitive Development
While your child builds their motor skills and physical development, their cognitive development is also benefiting as they ride. Kids are faced with lots of decisions while riding. For example, what direction should he go? How fast is too fast? Is this rough terrain and will it lead to a bumpy ride or more of a smooth surface?
If multiple kids are playing together, your little one needs to learn how to steer properly to avoid collisions. All of these split time decisions build their cognitive development.
Builds Confidence
Not only is their cognitive development building, but so is their confidence. There is no greater joy than watching one of my kids learn a new skill. They are so proud of themselves and want to show off their trick to their friends and siblings.
Allowing them the opportunity to master this new skill and feel the immediate joy they feel when they realize they can do it all by themself is priceless.
Teaches lessons in Safety
One of the most important items that go hand in hand with your child’s scooter is ensuring your child has a helmet while riding their scooter. Scooter safety is key (more on that in a bit) and children need to be aware of the safety protocols while riding.
It is a great time to help your toddler learn to stop, look, and listen (okay, that might be from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood). The lesson is important though! While riding, your child needs to be encouraged to look at their surroundings, where they are going, and listen for any upcoming traffic to avoid any collisions.
Scooter Safety & Injury Prevention
It is always important when doing anything like this you take into account safety so your kids can enjoy things in a safe manner!
Helmets Are A Must
Scooters can be safely enjoyed by ensuring your kids follow important safety tips. One of the most important safety tips is to ensure your child wears a helmet. In several states, helmets are required to be worn by law. It is so crucial for your little one to wear a helmet to prevent head injuries.
The last thing you want to happen is to have your kid come zipping down the street and take a tumble landing on their head. Emergency room visits are no fun and head injuries are no joke. If you’ve got a toddler who is hesitant on wearing a helmet, try finding one with their favorite character on it, or you can buy a plain colored helmet and get stickers with their favorite character to bedazzle all over it.
Make it a fun game with them and introduce the helmet before going outside for a ride. If you bring it in a few days before you plan on trying out the scooter, the helmet won’t seem so big and scary. Instead, it will be their new fun helmet and they will be excited to show it off to the neighborhood.
Check out this great article by the New York Times on scooter safety.
Elbow & Knee Pads
Elbow and knee pads are also a great idea, but I’ll be honest, my kids don’t wear them. Yes, they can help protect themselves if they fall, but I also like to pick my battles with my kids. The helmet is an absolute must- no helmet, no scooter.
Find The Right Size & Scooter Type
You’ll need to ensure the scooter your child rides is fitted for their height and weight. There are many types of scooters (more on that in a minute) and you will need to ensure that your child has the proper size for their body type.
If your scooter is way too small or too large for your child then your toddler won’t be able to safely enjoy their new toy. A good scooter will have adjustable height handlebars or height settings to accommodate different sized children. Not only is the right size crucial, but you also need to ensure the scooter your child rides is one that aligns with their skill level.
Scooters can range from a three-wheel scooter to a two-wheel scooter. The 3 wheel scooter generally offers more stability and is more appropriate for small children, while the 2 wheel scooter requires more balance and can be used once your child has mastered balancing on their 3 wheeled scooter.
You’ll want to pick a scooter that is appropriate for your child’s skill level. Generally speaking, you’ll want to start with a 3 wheel scooter as a first scooter to help your child learn the basics before graduating to a two wheel scooter.
The last thing you want to do is to make your child frustrated because the scooter they are using is not appropriate for their age and skill level. Set your child up for success, not failure.
Shoes
You’ll want to ensure your kid has the right shoes on while playing outside. During those summer months, my kids go barefoot quite frequently. Ideally, your kids need to have closed- toe shoes while riding.
In the event they fall or come in contact with something on the ground while riding, they’ll need their feet protected. Sandals and bare feet don’t offer a whole lot of protection.
Stop, Look, Listen
In the words of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, “Stop and listen to stay safe.” Teaching your child to be aware of their surroundings while they ride is important, not only for their safety, but for the safety of those around them. You’ll need to talk to them about watching for people walking, other scooters or bicycles, and cars.
If you are crossing a street, now is a great time to make sure they are looking and listening before crossing. It is also a good idea to teach your younger toddlers the freeze game. You can practice this before riding your scooter too.
If your toddler rides off a little too far ahead of you, yelling “Freeze” can help ensure they don’t get out of eyesight. This also comes in handy when you see a car coming, pedestrian, or other obstacle.
Never Alone
This should go without saying, but never leave your young toddler alone outside while they play on their scooter. They should play in a well-lit area, and you may even consider adding reflectors to your scooter or having your child wear a reflector vest for visibility.
Best Scooter for 2 Year Old – Types of Scooters
Finally, we can talk about different types of scooters for your kids! There are several types available and they range anywhere from a classic scooter with two wheels or three wheels to scooters that can be used for tricks and off-roading.
The biggest difference between scooters are motorized or electric scooters vs. non-motorized scooters. A quick note on electric scooters. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns against using electric scooters for kids who are under the age of 16 years old. These e-scooters are widely available all over major cities.
I know we have them available across the neighborhoods in St. Louis. These scooters can go up to 15 miles per hour, and should not be used unless you have a driver’s license. Emergency room visits have increased with the use of these scooters and fractures and head injuries are among the types of visits seen with falls from electric scooters. If you are under 16 years old, it is best to stick to a non-motorized regular scooter.
The best scooters for your toddler are wheeled scooters, specifically a three-wheeled scooter if they are just starting out. There are two front wheels and one back wheel which help your child learn how to balance.
These are also known as glider scooters. They are a great option as a first scooter as it teaches stability. Once your toddler learns how to balance properly on the scooter and steer, then they can move on to more advanced scooters.
Caster scooters are also three-wheeled scooters, but there is a single front wheel, and two rear wheels that are spread apart. These are definitely for more advanced riders as the scooter is ridden as if the child is skiing, feet widely apart.
Two-wheeled scooters are what you typically see when you think of scooters. These are for children who have mastered balancing and steering and have graduated from their toddler scooter. Two-wheeled scooters have one wheel in front and one wheel in the back. You’ll generally see these scooters with a kickstand as well to keep the scooter upright.
They can come in all different fun colors and you may even have some with flashing wheels that light up as your child rides. Trick scooters are another option for two-wheeled scooters and are generally what you see at a skate park.
The biggest difference with trick scooters is the handlebar is wider which allows for greater stability while performing tricks. These are also going to be a bit more expensive and are generally reserved for the more experienced rider.
Off-roading scooters are also two-wheeled scooters and have larger wheels for those rough surfaces. These are a great choice for people who may do a lot of hiking and want an option for unpaved roads.
Considerations Before You Buy
There are plenty of scooters to pick from all ranging in different functions, styles, and skill levels. So how do you know which scooter is right for you? Before you buy, you’ll want to consider your child’s age and skill level. If you have a two year old toddler or newly turned toddler, you’ll need to have them start with a three-wheeled scooter to learn the basics.
Children that are older and have mastered balancing can move on to the two wheeled scooters. You’ll also want to consider what your child plans to do with her scooter. Is this a scooter that will be played with everyday or only once in a while?
Is this a scooter that your child plans to grow into or are you buying time until you can get a more expensive scooter for tricks or off roading? Consider your budget as well. Scooter prices can range greatly and part of that large variation is due to the scooter’s function and features.
Some scooters have extra features such as those 5:1 scooters that have a removable seat and can change from a pushcart to a tricycle to a scooter, while other cheaper scooters are more basic.
You’ll also want to consider your scooter’s durability. If you plan on getting a nicer scooter and passing the scooter down to younger siblings, it may make more sense to spend more money for a scooter that has multiple features and can accommodate multiple skill levels and ranges of children.
Pay attention to the maximum weight limit on the scooters as this may give you an idea of how long the scooter can be used with your child. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure the scooter itself is not too heavy. It should be lightweight enough for your toddler to handle by themselves.
Lastly, I always like to look for additional features like easy storage. I’m not a big fan of toys that take up a large footprint for storage space. So if the scooter can be folded up, not only is that great for storage space, but it also means it can travel easily too.
Scooter Reviews
For the purpose of this post, I won’t be reviewing any electric scooters as this post is directed toward younger children. I do plan on reviewing electric scooters in a different post, but please keep in mind the AAP’s warning on the use of electric scooters for those under the age of 16 years old.
Three-Wheeled Scooters
Below are my favorite 3 wheeled scooters for 2 year olds
Shop Best Scooter for 2 Year Old – 3 Wheel Options
Micro Kickboard is a company who makes high quality durable scooters for a wide variety of kids ages. (1) The Micro-Maxi Deluxe , (2) and folding version gives you the best bang for your buck. These are definitely on the more expensive side, but they can grow with your child as they learn to balance and steer.
The micro kickboard provides stability for younger children as they learn to balance and the learn-to-steer technology can help them become more confident in steering. The smooth ride allows your toddler to learn the basics with confidence.
There are height-adjustable handlebars that grow with your child and a higher weight capacity of 150 lbs, which means your little one will have plenty of time for play as they grow. This is a great value for a sturdy scooter that can last a long time.
Micro Kickboard also has this same version in a smaller footprint for up to 110 lbs (kids up to 5 years old) in their (3) Micro-Mini Deluxe version. A smooth and stable ride for your two year olds as they learn the basics. This model also has an adjustable t-bar which extends up to 25 inches.
Once they outgrow this model, you can upgrade them to the Micro-Maxi Deluxe. There are different colors to choose from and it is a good choice as a starter scooter.
There is also a (4) Mini 3:1 Deluxe 3 Stage Ride on Micro Scooter for your younger toddlers, aged 12 months up to 5 years. This is a great option from mini mico that allows your child to grow with their scooter. It starts out with your young toddler’s little hands holding on to the O bar while being seated and riding the toy.
Once they learn to balance and feel more comfortable on the toy sitting, the ride- on-seat can be removed, for a scooter with a short O bar. From there, once they outgrow the O bar and learn to balance on their feet, the O bar can be removed for a T bar and converted into a full micro-mini which is suitable up to age 5. This is the best choice for those who plan on having more children. You can use this for younger siblings without having to buy another scooter.
(5) Bird Kids scooter or (6) in pink Is a great option for someone who loves style and function. We have owned YBIke Brand, Micro brand, and now Bird, and although I can’t say anything bad about any of them, the Bird is my favorite!
The ride is smooth and it has well thought through brakes and wheels that allow for it to be an easy ride, while still keeping it stylish and adorable.
(7) The YBike Kids GLX Cruz 3 Wheel Kick scooter is another great option for young toddlers just learning how to balance. This scooter has lean-to-steer technology and large wheels in the back for stability. There is an anti-slip-deck that provides additional stability, and a curved handlebar for easy handling. This scooter also has a rear brake, which sets it apart from the scooters previously mentioned. This scooter is for toddlers up to 5 years old and 44 lbs.
(8) The Razor Jr. Lil’ Kick Scooter is another great budget option. At only $27 this scooter is another great choice for a first scooter. It is noted to have a wide deck for stability and larger wheels to help for a smooth ride. There are some reviews on Amazon that state the back wheel may be troublesome over time. For a starter scooter, you can’t beat the price. * it is worth noting that as a mom – i prefer the 2 wheels in the front. I think they are smoother.
Two-Wheeled Scooters
Now chances are your two year old won’t be ready for a two-wheeled scooter anytime soon. In fact, I’d say they won’t be ready until around 4-5 years old before they can move onto a two-wheeled scooter. However, on the off chance that you have a little scooter prodigy, I’ll list a few great options for two-wheeled scooters.
Shop Best Scooter for 2 year old – 2 wheel options
Razor scooters are pretty well known. You can spot them by their shiny sleek designs zooming across your neighborhood streets. (1) The Razor A Kick Scooter is a budget friendly choice for kids who have advanced to a two-wheeled scooter.
It is lightweight, folds up easily for storage, and has an adjustable handlebar for various heights. You will note that the deck itself is pretty slim, so young riders should be proficient in balancing before graduating to this design.
There is also a rear fender brake as an added safety feature. The weight limit is a generous 143 lbs so it will grow with your child. It is a great budget option to consider
(2) The Beeleev V1 Scooter is another great option for a two-wheeled scooter and is suitable for toddlers aged 3 all the way to 14 years old. This scooter’s adjustable T bar ranges from 30-34 inches and has 3 adjustable height options for older kids. It is lightweight and has some fun light up flashing wheels that get brighter the faster you ride. Who doesn’t want fun flashing lights?
This scooter also folds up for easy storage and travel. It comes with a kick stand so the scooter stays upright and moms everywhere can avoid tripping over it while unloading groceries. I speak from experience.
Speaking of light up wheels, how about an entire scooter that lights up? (3) The Jetson Jupiter Kick Scooter is a LED light up scooter that has lights on the wheels, deck, and handlebar. You won’t be able to miss your kid riding on this scooter.
It has an adjustable handlebar to grow with your kid and a wide deck for stability. A rear foot brake system is an added safety feature. I’d say if you have a kid who loves flashy things then this is the scooter for them.
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I hope this helped narrow down some great options for the best scooter for 2 year olds. There are so many options that can grow with your child or be passed down to younger siblings, cousins, or friends. Whichever scooter you chose, I hope your toddler has a blast learning this new skill and feels confident as they zoom down the block. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments, and follow me on Instagram @arinsolange for more home, decor, and DIY.
