The Hottest Kid's Toy Doesn't Have a Screen
Though panicked parenting bloggers and disapproving columnists love to detail how the youth nowadays is addicted to screens, if you actually ask a kid what their favorite toy is, they’re likely to point to an item that has no apps, videos, or digital enhancement of any kind, and that in fact offers a decent degree of exercise.
Microkickboards – sleek, high-end scooters with a sustainable caché – have become the status symbol for city kids, who zoom around town on them in packs, their parents often following along on adult-sized versions. Safe and easy-to-use, Microkickboards are almost like the anti-iPhone, encouraging kids to explore and interact with the outside world instead of the digital one.
“I think that’s a huge thing that’s on people’s minds right now is trying to get kids off screens,” says Jamie Rau, Microkickboard’s Director of Marketing and Business Development, “And it’s a big thing we focus on in our marketing: Off-screen adventures with Micro.”
Not only do Microkickboards keep kids from staring at their phones, they’re also practical modes of transportation that allow little ones to keep up with busy parents and give them a degree of independence, even at a very young age.
“Sometimes you don’t always want to take a big, bulky stroller where you’re going,” Rau says, noting that Microkickboards are available for kids as young as one year old. Little ones can practice their skills at the Microkickboard store in Hudson Yards, where once-a-month the track is open only to those under the age of six (more details below).
A child on a Microkickboard
That’s the other part of the appeal of Microkickboard; they grow with children, as the handlebars – T-Bars in Microkickboard speak – are adjustable, meaning that your one-year-old will be able to keep his scooter until the age of five, when he can then pass it down to his younger sister.
All of the pieces on a Microkickboard are replaceable too, so once you own one, you’ll never have to buy a new one.
“We ask our customers to never put their scooters in a landfill. If you are done with it, it can be passed down to your neighbor, because it’s not a toy that ever breaks and needs to be thrown away,” Rau says.
Not that your little one will be so quick to give it away. “We hear so much feedback from parents like, ‘our kids are completely obsessed with their scooters, they sleep with them in their bedroom, they have named them. They’re scooting to school on them, they’re scooting home, they’re scooting to the park,’” Rau says, “It sounds crazy, but the scooters have really become a huge part of the kids’ lives.”
Not sure if your little one can handle a Microkickboard? The first Tuesday of every month, Microkickboard is hosting a “Toddler Tuesday” event at their location in Hudson Yards from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. During that time, the store’s track is closed off to anyone over the age of six, allowing little ones time to practice feeling comfortable on their scooters and make sure it’s right for them.
The Related Life is written and produced by Related Luxury Rentals. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest events, news and announcements in your area, and tag us for a chance to be featured @therelatedlife and #therelatedlife