Micro Scooters and Deliberate Play - for miles of smiles.

10 January 2024 | Charis

Micro Scooters and Deliberate Play - for miles of smiles.

Scooting doesn’t just empower toddlers to travel from A to B, it also helps to establish essential life skills whilst hitting those all-important development milestones. Micro Scooters call it ‘Play for Life’ – the principle that riding a scooter fosters a beautifully strong platform for learning. By riding a Micro Scooter, children can develop a framework of gross and fine motor skills important for the classroom.

Micro Scooters commissioned research with Brytespark – a team of experts in biomechanics, and child development, who combined their knowledge with expert opinion from around the world to delve deeper into the science of scooting. School might seem a long way off for some, but taking the time to encourage your child to develop through scooting will mean that they will be top of the class when the time for school eventually comes. They will be more alert, more motivated and have better concentration levels too.

What is Deliberate Play?

When play is deliberate, it means that the parent actively engages their child in a game, with a clear aim: to assist in the physical development of the child. Whilst the parent has a clear goal, the child is not aware of the intention. Meaning that infants are fully immersed in the positive experience rather than resistant to commands. Such games are specifically designed to not only help a child to achieve certain development milestones, but also to embed these skills. As a result, the child moves through their physical development stages more quickly and with more confidence.

What do you mean by Developmental Milestones?

Developmental milestones include all the things a child does for the first time, such as taking their first steps. Whilst all children develop at their own speeds, not many parents realise that infants can be ready to scoot by the age of 18 months. Some key developmental milestones at this age include:

Pointing to show others something interesting
Exploring alone but with parent close by
Following 1-step verbal commands
Pulling toys while walking
Walking up steps and running
Walking alone

Why does this matter?

Embedding and securing skills at each developmental milestone is very important as they give children confidence in their own physical ability. As a result, children are able to move with a better understanding of their bodies, their capabilities (and limitations) and therefore less likely to take unnecessary risks. Children also actively seek new physical experiences and will continue exercising and enjoying activities into later life. Instilling habits that last a lifetime. It is important at this point to note however, that it is not helpful to bracket a child’s development by age alone, as all children’s readiness happens at different times, the most successful strategy is to guide a child through the movement milestones ensuring each one is fully mastered before moving onto the next.

How does scootful play benefit a child’s development?

Core Strength: Scooting builds strong tummy muscles and tones spinal muscles; crucial for both sitting still and concentrating.
Muscular Coordination: A scoot to the park gives little leg muscles a boost whilst bolstering uber important hand eye coordination.
Spatial Awareness: Learning to start, stop and to avoid sudden obstacles will allow pre-schoolers to discover personal space; an indispensable skill for manoeuvring around without hurting themselves.
Reaction Time: Starting, stopping, and avoiding obstacles keeps children alert and connected to tasks.
Healthy Body and Mind: Scooting is fantastic exercise. It burns energy and helps clear the mind. Children who scoot to school arrive ready to learn.
Decision Making: Which direction, how fast, how slow? These choices help to foster independence and build self-confidence.
Confidence and Independence: Scooting empowers children and gives a sense of achievement. This breeds confidence and positivity.

Scooting Games

Micro Scooters nursery and preschool product ranges are designed to support the critical developmental stage of 12-36 months. Their Deliberate Play games, created as part of their ‘Play for Life’ campaign, have been designed for children during this developmental stage, using Micro Scooter products that are best suited for their ability. Some of the games may seem simple, but for an infant they are extremely complex - dedicated to honing incredibly important life skills. The best part about this is that it means that the games are incredibly easy to build into your day to day. The Kid Collective stock both the Mini 2 Grow Scooter and the Mini Deluxe LED Scooter, adaptable multi-tasking scooters that introduce toddlers to the joy of life on wheels. Also available is a range of Micro Scooters Eco accessories and helmets made from rPet - recycled polyester yarn created from plastic bottles that pollute our oceans - so now your child can not only explore the planet but protect it too.

Mini 2 Grow

Play for Life Development Skills: