1. Fit Inline Skates to Children's Growing Feet
The main challenge in choosing inline skates for kids is dealing with major growth spurts. Inline skates offer greater flexibility and customization options than boots for ice and traditional roller skating. Your child needs to have inline skates that fit tighter to his feet than regular shoes and winter boots.
One way to make inline skates fit correctly as a child ages is switching out internal liners. The cost of purchasing a pair of inline skates with multiple replacement liners is less expensive than hunting down several pairs of skates. You can make your child's skates last longer by finding a pair that uses buckles or straps instead of laces. These locking mechanisms can be adjusted outward to parallel foot growth while maintaining decent ankle support.
2. Acquire Accessories to Protect Young Inline Skaters
The two essential accessories needed for inline skating are helmets and pads. Your child can avoid concussions and head injuries by wearing a helmet with thick padding. Many parents overlook the potential for overheating and dehydration caused by poor ventilation within helmets. You should purchase several helmets and place the top of each helmet in front of a stationary fan to find one with adequate vents for your child.
Elbow and knee pads can be tricky for children who will grow quickly over the next few months. The best pad option for young skaters is a set of knee and elbow protectors with elastic backings. These materials yield to growing limbs, while keeping plastic padding in place for proper protection while skating.
3. Get Creative in Supplying Kids With Inline Skating Gear
It can be difficult to find affordable inline skating gear for children of varying ages. One way to meet the needs of kindergartners, middle-schoolers and young adults on your family budget is by purchasing gear at a second-hand sporting goods store. The best time to shop at these stores is in the midst of winter and at the end of summer, when people are selling off after-season equipment cluttering up their garages.
Another way to supply your children with pads of all sizes is arranging a gear exchange with another family. You can speak with neighbors and family friends about trading pads, helmets and skates as children grow older. School sporting events, picnics and church events offer networking opportunities that can expand your choices of used skating gear.
The simplest way to ensure that everyone in your family has inline skating gear is by passing down items from child to child. This method of equipping your children with gear places a premium on replacement liners, wheels and other accessories as wear and tear takes its toll. Write down all your purchase dates on a chart so you know when to update your children's gear. Skates should be updated approximately every 5 to 7 years, while pads and helmets should be replaced every 2 to 4 years.
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