It never ceases to amaze me the things that kids do to keep themselves occupied.
From hide and seek to football, DS and Wii to riding their bikes, kids these days are not so different to when we were children ourselves.
With 2 small kids of my own I often fret about the amount of time they spend on the computer and favour the time that they spend outdoors.
In fact, I push them outside every time it stops raining to try to give them their daily dose of vitamin D! However, even if I didn't do this I am sure that they would find their way out there on their own before too long.
There is too much adventure to miss out on by staying at home.
Scooters are a great way to help to encourage your teenagers to go outside.
These days if you live in the city you will usually be able to find a decent skate park somewhere in your locality.
Many indoor centres have recently started springing up in warehouses and with lots of the top brands of scooters having their own team of professional riders, these are a great place for youngsters to hangout in relative safety and learn how to perform a whole host of death-defying stunts.
When it comes to equipment very little is actually needed for scooting.
Apart from the obvious scooter, the other essential is a good quality helmet.
Looking after your skull is not an option so ensure your teenager doesn't think it's cool not to wear it.
Thankfully, unlike in my day, kids these days have been bought up with safety gear so it's more likely that they will stand out for not wearing it.
Knee and elbow pads are also handy for keeping bones in tact! With regards to your weapon of choice when it comes to the actual scooter, much depends on how much money you are prepared to spend.
Once your child is hooked then a custom scooter might be on the cards, that's if money is no object! Brands like Slamm scooters, Madd Gear and Grit scooters make some great quality entry level scooters.
The Grit Extremist has recently been upgraded to include the same quality deck as the next model up, a triple stacked collar clamp and hi-ten y-bars.
This scooter gives the ever popular Slamm Rage a good run for its money and generally scores top marks in the reviews.
At the top of the range of Grit scooters top models is the Grit Mayhem.
This model was upgraded in Autumn 2011 and is now an even lighter ride.
This model is fitted with a flex brake, meaning that it is springless, lasts longer and is easier to use.
The 5 spoke metal core wheels have been fitted with the highest quality ABEC 9 bearings and the deck is 10cm with an octagonal reinforced downtube making it strong enough to cope with the kind of thrashing it might need to take from an experienced stunt rider.
If your child is keen to get into tricks and stunts on their scooter, most brands have models starting for ages 8 plus.
However, Madd Gear do make a Mini MGP scooter that is suitable of kids of 5 year upwards.
With regards to the weight limitations most scooters are suitable for up to 100kg though some brands and models push this to 120kg.
Scooting is a good way for your children to get out in the world, make some friends and learn a new sport.
It takes time and patience to perfect some of these tricks, others can quickly be picked up and you can they will be able to impress the spectators within no time.