Kids, and some adults, can’t resist the chance to do some dangerous tricks on a patch of asphalt. As a matter of fact, give a twelve-year-old boy a 5×5 patch of concrete, and any wheel, and they will find a way to invent a new X-game.

I first saw a wave style skateboard in Walmart, and I spent five minutes trying to convince my roommate that it was a small oar for kayaking. When he told me that his little brother had one and that it was a new kind of skateboard, I lost it.

Small, Streamlined, and Champ-Building

Now that I’ve seen kids on these things, I think they are ingenious. Small, streamlined, and hard to use, these things make kids look impressive. Kids feel like champs knowing their parents could never get the hang of it.  This particular one has a bunch of bells and whistles, too, including flashing LED lights in the wheels (parents, remember how we only had sneakers that did that?) and a very trendy checkerboard pattern.

My stepsister did a lot of skateboarding, and she told me that a decent board, with brand-name wheels and all the right parts for tricks would cost over $200 where she used to buy gear.  Most waveboards today cost $75 or more. This little lightweight “Checkboard” by StreetWaveNow is only $35 on Amazon (granted, it isn’t endorsed by Tony Hawk or anybody, and it isn’t the name-brand Ripstik product).

It comes with a carrying case, tools, and a DVD that shows you how to ride it without falling and breaking your moneymaker.

Some parents might be concerned about safety issues, and yes, this combination of skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding looks pretty treacherous. With such a low price, though, just snag a helmet and a tube of Neosporin to go with it.  It’s part of being a kid to fall down once in a while.

Now, if you’re an adult and want to try one of these puppies out, all I can say is good luck.

Are you ready for some scrapes and bruises?

Hey everyone out there: Spring’s coming up incredibly fast. Did you know this? Did you also know that along with spring comes good, or presumably better, weather? Well it does. That means that kids are once again going to want to be outside, so that means I need to give a rundown of more good outdoor toys beyond ride-on toys and Power Wheels. What sort of outdoor toys? Bikes and skates of course. Do you have one of either? Good, more chances for me to tell you about the bestselling toys as of right now.

Skates Belong To the Women

So let’s start with skates, shall we? I was awful on skates as a kid, either of the roller or the inline variety. As a result it was very important that I took the precaution to put a helmet on my stupid head, and in a surprise to no one, the top selling item related to skates is a helmet, specifically the Razor brand. The standard black is number one with the satin pink being a close second, meaning both boys and girls are getting outside and protecting their noggins. Good!

Good thing they make helmets look cool. Now put this on.

Now that we’ve got our helmets on, what do you suppose the most popular pair of skates is today, according to Amazon’s retail charts? That would be the Roller Derby Firestar Girl’s Roller. Yeah, that has the word “Roller” in the name twice. Deal with it boys. In fact, be prepared to deal with your shame for not having a single pair of skates in the top ten current bestselling items relating to skates. Items 3-7 are all girls’ skates, one pair of ice skates included. Then some knee pads. Then a Spiderman helmet/knee pad combo pack. Then carpet skates that I’m not going to mention because you’d have to be indoor to play with those. Boys, you don’t have a skate on the list until spot 11. You should be outside is what I’m thinking.

Seriously boys, learn how to ice skate and you'll always have friends.

Bikes Belong To Infants

Maybe the boys are leading the way in bikes instead? Once again the number one item is a helmet, so that’s a good start. Is it a boy’s helmet? Actually, it’s the Giro Me2 Infant Bike Helmet, particularly the one with a duck and a goose on it.  Okay, but that helmet looks sweet, not gonna lie.

Dang that goose looks happy. I'd like to be that happy with anything.

Anyway, after the typical bike accessories such as kneepads, bike locks, and a child seat, the first actual bike-like product is the Schwinn Roadster Trike. Okay, but the big kids have got stuff to see, right?

Not quite a bike but we're getting closer.

The next bike-like item is another tricycle, this time the Radio Flyer Classic Red Tricycle. At the very least we’re staying classic here since you just can’t beat Radio Flyer for one heck of a product. Even I had a Radio Flyer tricycle when I was a kid, or maybe my sister did. I don’t remember, but I know I rode one all the time. Not important.

Classic, but still not quite a bike, either.

Would you like to know how far down the list I had to travel to find an actual bike? Not a trike, not an accessory for a bike, but an actual bike? Number 55. And it’s a training bike. The PV Glider “Mini-Glider” 12-Inch Balance Training Bike by Glide Bikes to be exact. Number 55 there, and it’s a training bike. Hey, good to have the kids trained properly at least.

Boys, I know you're out there. Are you just not buying bikes or something?

There’s still plenty of time for you boys to reclaim some glory, and while you’re at it, it looks like you’ll meet a lot of girls. And infants. So get outside and play!

Oh yeah, forget those video games because things just got awesome.

I’ve been hung up on video games a lot lately, and I apologize for that. There’s just been an abundance of games getting released in such a short time frame. Plus, it sounds as if half the US has been snowed in for a while. To make up for all this sitting around in front of the TV, I think it’s time to take a look at the complete opposite here and talk about getting those kids outside and on something that moves. No, not a car, not even a bike, but one of these handy active outdoor toys. Grab your helmets and kneepads and let’s talk about some popular ride-on toys.

So first off, the products I’m about to bring up are entirely safe for your child, but there will no doubt be numerous scrapes and bruises caused by using said products. Don’t worry! This is actually a good thing! Why, when I was a child, I’d injure myself on a regular basis. You ask any parent and they’ll tell you they nearly destroyed themselves as a child with the amount of outside activity they participated in, but would they change it? Of course not. Like I said, remember the helmet and you should be fine.

Some Toys Never Go Out of Style

Some of you might remember the big Razor Scooter craze that set in a few years back. Did you know that Razor Scooters are still one of the highest selling ride-on toys at this moment? It makes sense, too, as the lightweight scooters are only around $50 and provide simple entertainment for the energetic kid. I had one a few years back and found it to be pretty snazzy, despite my lack of skillz. It is a great way to get exercise and encourages families to go to parks and wander around for a bit.

Expect your kid to build at least one ramp after getting a Razor Scooter.

You want to know another ride-on toy I’m happy is still selling well? Radio Flyers. Heck yes. Also known as a little red wagon, the Radio Flyer brand is just built to withstand the test of time. Every kid worth his snuff needs a Radio Flyer at some point for either transporting mischief or racing down steep inclines towards doom and more scrapes. And that’s the way we liked it! A no-hassle Radio Flyer can price just under $80 if you know where to look.

For the more advanced kids out there, the option of the magnificent pogo stick is readily available to increase the chance of phenomenal wipeouts. Pogo sticks can cost anywhere from $30 to $150, but as long as it pogos you’re in for fun/frustration. The only thing deadlier on a frustration level is a paddleball toy.

If you can figure this thing out, congrats, you've surpassed me as a true kid.

I don’t particularly care what you’re riding as long as it’s outside away from TV’s and such. Oh, and no cheating kids! The iPod counts as a TV if you have videos on it, so no using those either! Time for fresh air and scrapped knees. If I don’t see more scraped knees by the end of the week, I’m going to be disappointed in each and every one of you.

This is “my first tricycle” done right: a newer version of the Rock, Roll & Ride Trike with a bit of an update with the caretaker in mind.  This is good news for me.

The trike is said to be just right for a wide age range of 18 months to 5 years because of the item’s versatility.  It can start as an indoor toy with a the handle set underneath as the base for a rocking toy.  The kids get the thrill of “riding” a bike with the safety of indoor play.  As the young ones want to toddle outside to explore this trike will go with them.

The base for the rocking toy converts into a handle so that the young ones may be pushed around without pain in adult backs.  The update for the Rock & Roll Trike is an increase in handle length by four inches, making it even easier on the grown-ups.  The push-bar is a wonderful invention and worth it’s weight in gold as far as this parent is concerned.

The wheels on this toy are the plastic kind that offer very little traction if all you have is gravel or grass on which to drive.  Our experience has found that the best bit of “road” for these wheels is a patch of concrete or a nice long sidewalk.  I have read of other parents wrapping rubber bands around the wheels to increase traction on grass and such.

Find the new Rock, Roll and Ride Trike here.

As the toddler gets control of his own wheels and moves in to the “I can do it myself” stage it is nice to know that the handle can be removed to create a “big kid trike.”  This one toy has moved from toddler to big kid toy without costing a dime extra.  Assuming the wheels last that long it could fit the kid for years to come.

The Zigo Leader is a true transformer: it can be ridden as a carrier bicycle, or the front carrier section can be used independently as a sleek jogging stroller.  Not only that, but the “ChildPod” can be attached to the back of a bicycle as a trailer.  How innovative – that’s three carriers in one.

As the Expo continues, we’ll publish our favorite product highlights.

Thanks to Playthings for the tip!