Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Day 11
When I was young, all the kids in my neighborhood got together and created an impressive inter-city transportation system that we spent all summer perfecting. We had a series of two lane roads, one highway, and even a "country road" that led us around our made up city. Included in our system were various modes of transportation to get us around our metropolis, including a wagon (bus), various bikes (motorcycles, scooters), and two powerwheels (a car and truck).
When I think back on that summer now and all the fun we had creating our own special city complete with gas station, drive thru, supermarket, and county building where the important decisions for our little town were made, I can't help but smile. I love that every age of kid in the neighborhood was included and we all had at least a dozen roles we would play daily, from mayor to gas station attendant, and I also love that even though we were playing, we were also building some pretty cool skills that we all took with us when our town eventually shut down for the winter.
When I first saw the Whirl Balance Scooter from Prince Lionheart this past year, I immediately thought of our made-up town that has long since been erased from our old neighborhood. Besides being adorable, the Whirl Balance Scooter is simply begging young kids to let their imaginations run wild. The retro design is easily at home in a European countryside, a metropolitan city, or even zipping to your job as the town photographer, and that makes it adaptable to any game they can dream up.
And, with quality touches throughout, who wouldn’t want to ride one of these and play make believe all day long? With its 100% birch frame from an FSC certified forest, nice and solid rubber handgrips, a slightly padded seat that can adjust over 3 ½ inches, and 12 inch rubber tires for a smooth ride, it looks just as comfortable as it does cute. It also has numerous little design touches that really add to the charm of the Whirl Balance Scooter and make it every little girls’ dream… even us big girls.
What's great is that because it's a balance scooter that doesn't have pedals or a noisy motor, it means that just about any age kid can ride it for hours of good, active fun. Since they will be having so much fun imagining that they are exploring Montmarte and winding down the twisty back roads of Paris in view of the Eiffel Tower, it will be easy to forget that they are also developing their sense of balance, working off energy, and preparing themselves to ride a two wheeled bicycle without assistance.
By allowing your child to sit comfortably on the seat and still keep both feet on the ground, it lets them to get familiar with the feel of balancing in a natural and familiar way. They may start out walking while sitting on the scooter, but soon they will be gliding and scooting all over the place with confidence. And then before you know it, they will be ready for pedals, the next step in learning to ride!
If you're like me and you think a kid's job is to play and imagine, then you will appreciate how the Prince Lionheart Whirl Balance Scooter encourages kids to expand their play. Even better is that as they play and create all these memories they are also developing crucial skills that will help them grow both mentally and physically and prepare them for the next big milestone.
Judging from how much my daughter simply adores the retro scooter, I know this is not going to be a toy she easily abandons once she is able to ride a bicycle on her own. I see many, many years of imaginative play ahead for the Whirl Balance Scooter and I can’t wait to see where it takes her!
Price: $110 and available from http://www.princelionheart.com/
A huge thank you to Prince Lionheart for sending their beloved Whirl Balance Scooter to be reviewed. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.
