Is your child learning to Rollerblade®? Here are a few tips to keep their wheels on the ground, choose the right Rollerblade® gear, and ensure a great first inline skating experience for your child!

• Make sure you have the right gear for a fun and safe skate. Rollerblade® offers a variety of skates that are specifically designed with the kid skater in mind and are adjustable by four sizes. Rollerblade® also recommends the use of a helmet and full protective gear while skating.

• Start with a smooth surface that is away from traffic for your child’s first skating experience.

• Practice stopping on skates. The heel stop is the most effective way to do this. Keeping knees bent and staggering your breaking foot, keep all eight wheels on the ground and engage the heel break by lifting up the toe of the breaking foot and holding the weight of that foot back. Continue until completely stopped. See Rollerblade’s “Heel Stop” video for a demonstration: