Scooter Smackdown! Spring 2009 edition

Last spring, I recommended my family's two favorite children's scooters, the Mini Micro Kickboard and the Skoooch, based on extensive testing by three scooter-fanatic kids. During this past year, these children continued to grow as they are wont to do, so I'm hereby revisiting the scooter arena to look at the "big siblings" of our favorites. The new Maxi Micro Kickboard Scooter has the same stable and smooth-riding three-wheel design as the Mini Kick (formerly known as the mini micro), but with a larger, sturdier frame for bigger kids. What really made my eight-year-old take a second look though was the pilot steering which uses a cool joy stick handle instead of the traditional  "T"-bar scooter handle that her little brother is still using. With the lean-to-turn technique she easily picked up when she was still a toddler, she was cruising and carving turns like a skateboarder but without all the falls. (Also a bonus for nervous moms.) The California Chariot has the same unique, two-footpad design of the Skoooch that makes the neighbor kids stop and ask, "Can I try that?"  It also turns on a dime, something I am immensely thankful for while watching my kids zip around my parked car. (No dents yet.)  With no weight limit, I can even take the California Chariot for a spin around the driveway when the kids give it a break. Which isn't often, as you can well imagine. -Christina Find the Maxi Micro Kickboard Scooter at the Micro Kickboard website. The California Chariot is available in blue, purple or red on our affiliate Amazon.