Picking a skateboard for a 6-year-old child is not easy, mainly because there is so much junk out there that is often unsafe and made of low quality parts.
Sure they look nice, fancy graphics, colorful grip tape, but looks can be deceiving. So let’s look at the best skateboards for 6-year old kids that are safe and tested by us.
6 years old is a great age to start skateboarding and actually the recommended age by The American Academy of Pediatrics.
Though this depends heavily on the development of your child, not every 6-year old kid is the same. Some are ready at the age of 5 and others at the age of 7.
While you don’t have to spend $180 USD on a professional skateboard, a safe skateboard will cost between 70 and 120 USD.
First let’s look at what size to get, some safety tips, and I listed a few boards we tested that are great for 6 year old kids.
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Contents
What Size Skateboard for 6-Year-Old?
The ideal skateboard size for a 6-year-old is between 7.0″ and 7.25″ wide. Go with a 7.25 if your kid is taller than average or you want something that will last for years. By the time kids reach the age of 10 it’s time to get a bigger board.
Larger boards also work but don’t get anything wider than 8.0″. It will take a bit more time for kids to get used to wider boards, by bending their knees and riding in a crouch-like position kids compensate for larger sized skateboards.
Even though kids can learn to ride an adult-sized skateboard, a smaller deck makes it easier for children to control a skateboard.
From a budget perspective, you could decide to go with a slightly larger skateboard, your kid will adjust but it just takes more time. A 7.5″ or 7.75″ will last for years and you can always replace the components like wheels, trucks, and bearings.
In the end, a smaller skateboard will make the process of learning a lot easier. Here is a table with some general guidelines but take it with a grain of salt:
| Age | Kid height | Skateboard width |
|---|---|---|
| 5 or under | 3’4 or under | 6.5″ to 7.0″ |
| 6 to 8 | 3’5 to 4’4 | 7.0″ to 7.5″ |
| 9-12 | 4’5 to 5’2 | 7.5″ to 8.0″ |
| 13 and over | 5’3 or over | 8.0″ and over |
How To Make Skateboarding Safe and Fun
Kids should always wear a skateboard helmet and wear bright clothes for visibility. To keep it fun consider knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards. It will keep a child safe and motivated.
Falling and hurting yourself isn’t much fun, especially if it can be prevented by a couple of simple pads. Make sure to pick the correct size. A helmet should fit snugly and cover the back of the head and not move while wearing.
Search out an area that’s free of traffic, like an abandoned parking lot or visit skate parks early in the morning. A smooth surface makes riding a skateboard much easier. Be sure to check the area for pebbles or pieces of glass.
Protective Gear for 6-Year-Olds
The one thing you should absolutely get is a helmet! If you want something safe and trustworthy go for an ASTM certified helmet. Non-certified helmets or cheaper helmets also work, it doesn’t mean that they are unsafe but often they are uncomfortable.
If a helmet is uncomfortable or starts to hurt after a while your child may want to remove it when you’re not around. Make sure your kid is supervised at all time!
You also have helmets that can be used for both skateboarding and riding a bike. This means you need to look for an ASTM and CSPC certified helmet. Check out my helmet recommendations just remember that a skateboard helmet needs to protect the back of the head.
I would also recommend knee pads, wrist guards, and elbow pads. You can often get combo packs for a fair price, here is the Protec combo set (Amazon link) my son uses.
How Much Does it Cost?
Prices vary but quality kids skateboards that are safe cost between 60$ USD and $120 USD. Cheap skateboards go for around $30 USD but are often dangerous to skate. Keep in mind that you also have to get protective gear and optionally skate shoes for extra grip and balance.
- Skateboard: 60$ USD – $120 USD
- Helmet: 30$ USD – $50 USD
- Protective gear (set): 25$ USD – $40 USD
- Skate shoes: 30$ USD – $50 USD
Shoes are often on sale for half the price, it’s also worth checking the price of protective gear on various websites.
SkateXS offers the best skateboards designed for kids. Made in US & great customer service
- Softer beginner friendly wheels
- Durable components
- Easier to control
- Reliable and safe
- Most value
A decent skateboard for 6 year olds that works straight out of the box.
- Designed for smaller kids (4 to 8)
- Offers a smooth and stable ride
- Turns well, easy to navigate
- Decent quality, durable components
Awesome graphics and a smooth ride. Make sure to check if the wheels spin properly and adjust accordingly.
- Good quality skateboard
- Cute graphics
- Perfect size for 6 to 7 year olds
- Bearings aren’t great
Skateboards for 6-Year-Olds We Recommend
I always recommend assembling a skateboard yourself but I can imagine this might be a bit of a challenge. Applying grip tape might be a bit challenging the first time but it’s not that difficult if done correctly. There are tons of youtube videos that explain how to do this.
Shops can often help you out and do it for you, so if you have a local skate shop, make sure to pay them a visit when possible. Let’s have a look at a few skateboards that will work, personally tested by my kid and even me.
1. Skate XS Complete
Right on top is the SkateXS complete skateboard which is far superior to all the boards listed on this page, and not even that expensive. Most kids skateboards are made of lower quality birch these days to save costs, but not this one.
The deck construction consists of bamboo combined with maple, making it a very durable deck and more environmentally friendly.
The wheels are softer compared to most kids skateboards so they don’t get stuck in cracks or blocked by pebbles. The softer wheels also makes it easier to control, making it less likely to fall.
Tap/click for larger images
The lightweight trucks are of high quality and offer a predictable turn. The bushings are specifically picked for 6 year olds and help to make it easier to control the skateboard when turning.
It comes with decent mini logo bearings that are just as good as the top brands. On top of that you can choose to customize your board.
Pick colorful wheels and kid friendly graphics, or even add a name. They start at $119,95 USD and are in my opinion the best you can get. Visit SkateXS for more info.
SkateXS Kids Skateboard
Performs great on sidewalks, concrete, and asphalt. Offers a smooth and reliable ride straight out of the box.
- Custom Designed for kids
- Can handle pebbles and cracks
- High-quality Parts
- Excellent customer support
- Safest skateboard we tested
2. Santa Cruz Complete
We have this board for a couple of years now and so far it’s holding up great. The combination of a smaller deck with softer wheels and softer bushings makes this a very forgiving ride. Bushings are the plastic cone-barrel shaped tubes that make the board turn.
Softer bushings help to turn the board and correct the direction of a skateboard. If they are too hard your kid is going to have a harder time adjusting his stance.
Santa Cruz offers several skateboards designed for kids. Super micro sized board (5 to 6 years old) have very soft 83A wheels and 90a bushings.
Softer bushings help to make the board turn better and correct the direction.The same goes for micro and mini skateboards (7 to 9). Regular sized Santa Cruz completes come with 95A wheels and (still fairly soft) and 95A bushings.
You can take this board to a local skatepark and it also performs well on pavements and crusty asphalt. It deals well with small objects like twigs, rocks, and cracks so your kids won’t lose their balance.
The hardness of wheels is important, harder wheels just make it harder to learn to ride and they make a lot of noise.
Standard ABEC 3 rated bearings, hardware, Bullet trucks, and grip tape. Check for prices and availability of Santa Cruz skateboards on Amazon.
3. Powell Peralta Golden Dragon
At 7.625″ it’s a good choice if you want a skateboard that can last for a couple of years. Even though it’s slightly wider than recommended, your kid will adjust. This size will work for kids from 6 to 10 years old.
The wheels are 54mm in diameter and the hardness (or durometer) is 99a. This makes them more suitable for riding slick surfaces and skate parks.
The wheels can handle crusty asphalt but are not meant for cruising long distances. It comes with standard trucks that can take some abuse.
This is a good choice for beginners and kids, it’s a decent board but not for jumping 5-stairs. Make sure to inspect the board when it arrives.
Check if the wheels spin properly, if not loosen the nut on the truck axle just a little bit. This goes for any board listed here, always inspect it first before the first ride. Available on Amazon.
4. Magneto Mini Cruiser
Magneto offers reasonable (kids) skateboards for a fair price. Sure this not a pro skateboard but it’s great for both kids and beginners.
It comes with big soft 60mm wheels that basically ignore cracks and pebbles, you don’t have to worry about the wheels getting blocked and you kid being launched forward.
The trucks are rather loose so depending on your kids preference you might want to adjust them a little. My kid had no issues at all and thinks it’s a fun board.
It’s not his favorite but we do have quite a collection by now and his comparison to my Comet Cruiser is a bit unfair (a $60 board vs a $350 skateboard).
Anyway, this is a solid choice. It turns well, is very lightweight and easy to carry around. Often on sale, sometimes you can get 50% off. Available in several prints on Amazon. Check our Magneto Mini Cruiser review.
Meow Skateboards
Meow’s skateboard has cute cat designs. Even if you’re not into cats, they’re hard to resist. It ride smoothly on rougher surfaces and doesn’t make much noise.
This board comes with Meow’s own parts and wheels that are soft, which means they grip the ground well.
It’s especially good for a 6-year-old. The wheels are big and soft, making it stable and easy to ride over small obstacles. At 7.0″ wide it will also still work for for 7 and 8 year olds.
At first, there were some issues with the wheels and the parts that help them spin. I added some lubricant and adjusted the tightness of the wheels (loosen up the axle nut). After that, it worked great.
6. Arbor Pocket Rocket
The Arbor Pocket Rocket is a mini cruiser, around 26″ long, and despite it’s small size a very stable skateboarder.
This cruiser skateboard is more expensive, and perhaps too expensive for a 6-year old. However, this cruiser will last a decade and is perfect for smaller riders.
After a couple of years, your kid can decide if he wants to either cruise and get a longboard, or go for a popsicle skateboard and learn more technical tricks.
The Arbor Bogart wheels offer a buttery smooth ride. Big soft wheels that ignore cracks, pebbles, twigs, and rocks.
This board isn’t for tricks but great for riding around the playground, or sidewalk. It handles rough surfaces extremely well, no need to worry about the wheels getting blocked.
It’s a great board but 170 bucks for a kid skateboard is a bit much in my opinion. Check out Arbor boards on Amazon.
Conclusion
There are many options these days for 6-year-old beginner skateboarders but make sure to avoid cheap skateboards under 40-50 bucks. They are frustrating to ride, parts break often after a couple of rides, and the bearings are of very low quality.
Get a quality board and make a smart investment, they are safe, long lasting and the components are quite easy to replace. You don’t need a kid-sized skateboard but it does help your kid to learn how to ride. The downside is that you probably have to buy a new skateboard every 3 years.
I’m an aged skateboarder and still shred responsibly. Started skateboarding 25 years ago, peaked in the 2000’s, and still ride to this day. I am a total geek when it comes to skateboard gear, love test to stuff and share my findings.